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Ukraine, allies file proceedings against Iran for downed airline. According to a July 5 press release from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Ukraine, Canada, Sweden, and the U.K. have jointly filed proceedings against Iran for the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in 2020.
US will have to fight Russia if Ukraine defeated. If Ukraine is defeated in the war, the U.S. will have to send troops to fight Russia's further aggression, former Vice President Mike Pence said on the Hugh Hewitt Show on July 5.
Serbia refuses to extradite fugitive SBU ex-general to Ukraine. A court in the Serbian city of Niš rejected the request to extradite fugitive Andrii Naumov, the former head of the internal security department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to his home country, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on July 12.
Saudi Arabia to host Ukraine peace talks with 30 countries. The summit will be held in the Red Sea port of Jeddah, said the official, who spoke anonymously as no authorization had been given to discuss the summit publicly. The official said those participating in the summit will include Ukraine, Brazil, India, South Africa, and several other countries. The official said a high-level official from US President Joe Biden’s administration is also expected to attend. The official said that planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv, and Russia is not invited. The Saudi plans come after Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated on July 29 that he is open to peace talks during a press conference with reporters at the end of a significant Russia-Africa Summit held in St Petersburg. The WSJ, which first reported on the summit, said the talks would take place on August 5 and 6, with some 30 countries attending, citing diplomats involved in the discussion.
Russian court seizes assets of Ukraine's oligarch Akhmetov. A court in Moscow ruled to seize the assets of the Russian subsidiary of the Metinvest company controlled by Ukraine's richest man Rinat Akhmetov, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on July 31.
● Domestic Politics
Ukraine has adopted a law that outlines the selection of CCU judges, fulfilling EU requirements. The Ukrainian parliament adopted a draft law on changes to the procedure for appointing judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU), which is necessary to fulfill the criteria of the European Commission on Ukraine's path to EU membership. According to parliament member Zheleznyak, the document contains a rule that strengthens the role of internationals in selecting judges. If due to the same number of votes for and against a nominee and the Advisory Group of Experts cannot decide, a second vote will be held. In case of an equal number of votes for and against during the second round of voting, the votes of three members of the Advisory Group of Experts, of which at least two are proposed by international organisations or the European Commission, will determine the outcome. The reform of the judge selection system for the Constitutional Court is one of the seven criteria from the European Commission, the implementation of which are necessary for further EU accession progress.
11 UKRAINE Country Report August 2023 www.intellinews.com