What did 17 July 2023 reveal about the war's wider pressures?
A look back at the reports surrounding 17 July 2023, from corporate takeovers in Russia to a visit to Kyiv.
What did the news surrounding 17 July 2023 show about how far the war in Ukraine reached beyond the front line? The reports from the preceding days pointed to pressure on business, diplomacy and security across several countries.
Moscow moves on foreign firms
On 16 July 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a temporary state takeover of the shares of French agribusiness Danone and of Baltika, the brewer owned by Carlsberg. The decision formed part of a wider response to many private companies, these two included, reducing their business operations in Russia during the war. Many companies had ceased operations in Russia or backed Ukrainian organisations after Russia's seizure of Ukrainian territory.
Seoul steps up support
On 15 July 2023, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made an unannounced visit to Kyiv and met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He announced that South Korea would pledge a further US$150 million in aid to Ukraine.
Questions in the neighbourhood
The same day, Russia said it would investigate whether the North Korean Hwasong-18 missile had landed in its exclusive economic zone. On 16 July 2023, Transnistrian communist and opposition leader Oleg Khorzhan was killed in a stabbing attack in his office.
Taken together, these reports from 15 and 16 July 2023 show the war's effects spreading into the economy, foreign policy and regional security, a few days before the date this review looks back on.
