Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday vowed to restore Ukrainian rule over Crimea, rebuild the peninsula and lead it on a path into the European Union.
Mr Zelenskyy told a virtual summit dedicated to Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014: "It started in Crimea and it will end in Crimea."
"We need to win — to win the fight against Russian aggression, and therefore we need to free Crimea from occupation."
His call to arms was echoed by Polish President Andrzej Duda, the only foreign leader to attend in person in Kyiv, who said Ukraine had the right to liberate its internationally recognised territory.
Mr Duda said he was determined to "see Crimea, the Ukrainian Crimea ... I believe, Volodymyr, that you will show Crimea to me".
"Crimea is and will be the same part of Ukraine as Gdansk or Lublin are part of Poland, as Nice is part of France, as Cologne is part of Germany, just like Rotterdam is part of the Netherlands," he said.
The annual summit on Crimea has taken on greater significance after Russia's all-out invasion in February. It comes a day before Ukraine's independence day and Mr Zelenskyy and some senior officials wore national dress for the occasion.
Western leaders addressing the summit said they would never recognise the Russian occupation of Crimea, though they stopped short of calling for it to recaptured.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said leaders should have the humility to acknowledge that "not everyone realised the sheer enormity of what was happening at the time", heeding a frequent complaint from countries in Eastern Europe.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "planning to do to parts of Ukraine, in fact all of Ukraine, what he has done to Crimea and he is preparing more annexations and more sham referendums".
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed that warning, amid suggestions that Russia would try to annex territory captured during this year's invasion.
"Any sham referendums or other attempts to alter the status of parts of Ukrainian territory will never be recognised," said Mr Scholz.
A referendum in Crimea in 2014 was dismissed as fraudulent by western powers because it took place while Russian troops were on the peninsula, violated Ukraine's constitution and was marred by irregularities.
Russia shows no sign of abandoning the peninsula, home to its Black Sea fleet, and has used Crimea as a platform to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian targets.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accused Russia of turning Crimea into "one of the most militarised areas in Europe", while other leaders highlighted reports of human rights abuse under Moscow's rule.
But recent explosions in Crimea have raised the prospect that the fighting could spread there, even as Ukraine remains coy on whether it is behind them.
Mr Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen repeated a promise made by the G7 countries at their summit in June to support Ukraine for "as long as it takes".
Mr Zelenskyy said restoring control over Crimea would be "a historic anti-war step in Europe" and promised to restore public services and tourism if Ukraine retook the peninsula.
He said people from Crimea would become citizens of the European Union if Ukraine fulfilled its dream of joining the bloc, a process that took a step forward in June when it was formally granted candidate status.
"I want to emphasise for Ukraine — Crimea is not just some territory, not a figure in the geopolitical game. For Ukraine, Crimea is a part of our people, our society, a community of people," Mr Zelenskyy said.
"The path of Crimea will be the path of the entire Ukrainian continent. Ukraine will remove the barbed wire that blocks the way for ordinary people to the best spots and places of Crimea, these illegal fences that have torn out this beautiful coastline of our beautiful Crimea."
Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
RACECARD
6pm Emaar Dubai Sprint – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35pm Graduate Stakes – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m
7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
10.05pm Dubai Sprint – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
The years Ramadan fell in May
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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