Morning bird: Zelensky excluded the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from Donbas. According to the UN, soldiers from Israel and Russia sexually abuse their opponents
After Russia calls for Ukraine to withdraw from part of the Donetsk region controlled by Kyiv as part of a potential ceasefire agreement, President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated that his country must be involved in any talks concerning its own territory. He ruled out the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from this area. The UN Secretary General António Guterres warned Israel and Russia that their soldiers are involved in committing sexual violence in conflict zones.
Ukraine expects not to leave Donbas
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj ruled out withdrawing the Ukrainian army from Donbas as part of a possible peace deal with the Russians, because it would deprive Kiev of defensive lines and open the way for Moscow to further offensives. According to him, territorial issues should be discussed after Russia agrees to a ceasefire, and security guarantees for Ukraine should be an integral part of this discussion. It is expected that the presidents of the USA and Russia will discuss on Friday the options for ending Russia's war against Ukraine, and the American President Donald Trump previously suggested that the exchange of territories could be part of a potential peace agreement, wrote the portal Ceskenoviny.cz.
UN warns Israel and Russia about reports of sexual abuse by armed forces
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned Israel and Russia that their armed forces and security personnel could be classified as parties "reasonably suspected" of committing sexual violence in conflict zones.
In his warning to Israel, Guterres said that he is "deeply disturbed by credible information about violations of Palestinian laws by Israeli armed and security forces" in several prisons, a detention center and a military base. In the case of Russia, Guterres refers to the violations of rules against Ukrainian war prisoners in detention facilities in Ukraine and Russia, reports Al Jazeera.
Castle: There is no direct communication between the presidents of the Czech Republic and China
At the presidential level, there is currently no direct communication between the Czech Republic and China. The announcement that China is severing all contacts with President Petr Pavel is therefore not a step that would change the existing setup, according to the server Ceskenoviny.cz. The Office of the President of the Republic announced this on the X network in response to the Chinese Embassy in Prague, which said that the spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Tien, claimed that China was severing all contacts with Pavel. The visit to the Dalai Lama on 27 July damaged China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the spokesperson.
"The meeting of the President of the Republic with the Dalai Lama was purely private," the presidential office pointed out,"
Further stated the Office of the President of the Republic.
Iran arrested 21 thousand suspects during a 12-day war
The Iranian police arrested up to 21,000 "suspects" during the June twelve-day conflict with Israel and the United States, as reported by Al Jazeera. After massive Israeli airstrikes, which began on June 13 and killed high-ranking military officials, scientists, and civilians, the Iranian security forces initiated extensive arrests. The U.S. carried out extensive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during the conflict.
Sources: Ceskenoviny.cz, Al Jazeera
