Ukraine’s President Selenskyj warns Chancellor Scholz before his visit to Kyiv. There should be no “balancing act” between Russia and Ukraine. French President Macron is traveling to Romania and Moldova today – because of the Russian threat. All voices and developments on the Ukraine war here in the ticker.
5:51 a.m .: French President Emmanuel Macron is traveling to neighboring Romania and Moldova in view of the war in Ukraine. According to the Élysée Palace, Macron wanted to leave for Romania early Tuesday morning and then continue to Moldova on Wednesday. Both countries are concerned with the threat posed by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Another topic is the desire of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to join the European Union. At the EU summit on June 23rd and 24th, the EU states want to position themselves on the candidate status of the three countries.
Tuesday, June 14, 4:25 a.m.: Former Ukrainian football coach Andrei Shevchenko considers his country a valuable potential member of the European Union against the background of the Russian invasion. Ukraine pays a very high price to prove itself as a worthy member of the European family, the former national player said in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. “The fact is: Ukraine defends the democratic values of the EU – and freedom. My country deserves to be part of a big European family and believe me: my country has a huge potential to strengthen the EU,” he stressed.
The day Russia started the war in Ukraine “was the worst day of my life,” said the 45-year-old. The former striker – who played for AC Milan and Chelsea among others – still does not want to return to his country to fight there. He thought about it a lot, but then after many discussions with former world boxing champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, among others, decided to collect funds for humanitarian aid abroad. “Everyone has their place: one at the front, others in other places. I believe I’m doing the right thing,” he said.
11:26 p.m .: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects the European Union to grant his country candidate status this June. He would like Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to personally support Ukraine’s EU membership, said Selenskyj on Monday in an interview with ZDF’s “heute journal”. Selenskyj added critically that in the time before Scholz took office, i.e. during the chancellorship of Angela Merkel (CDU), “a certain skepticism” prevailed in Germany’s political leadership with regard to his country’s accession to the EU and NATO.
During a visit to Kyiv at the weekend, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she would complete the analysis of Ukraine’s EU membership application at the end of next week. In any case, the recommendation of your authority should be linked to reforms. The EU countries must then unanimously decide how to proceed. This is to happen at an EU summit on June 23rd and 24th.
10:23 p.m .: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has promised his compatriots a reconquest of the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia. “The Ukrainian flag will again fly over Yalta and Sudak, over Jankoy and Yevpatoria,” said Zelenskyy in his evening video message in Kyiv on Monday. “Of course we will also liberate our Crimea.”
Russia militarily occupied the Black Sea peninsula in 2014 when Ukraine was weakened after a change of power and was unable to resist. Then an internationally unrecognized referendum was held and Crimea was annexed to Russia. Zelensky has always advocated a return to the peninsula, but has seldom stated it so emphatically as a war goal.
7.37 p.m .: Immediately before Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensyj asked the German government to be more clear in supporting his country. In the ZDF interview with the “heute journal”, Selenskyj accused the Chancellor of still showing too much consideration for Russia. The war can only be ended by Russia. To do this, the situation in Ukraine would have to be strengthened in such a way that the Russian people could feel the losses. At the moment he cannot be willing to compromise.
Selenskyj expressed clear criticism of Chancellor Scholz. Although “relationships between the German and Ukrainian governments are by no means bad,” the President said: “We need Chancellor Scholz to assure us that Germany will support Ukraine. He and his government have to make a decision: no balancing act should be attempted between Ukraine and relations with Russia.”
Germany began supporting Ukraine much later than other countries, Zelensky criticized:
“Germany came a little later than some of our neighboring countries in terms of arms deliveries. That’s a fact,” the President said. The USA, Slovakia, Poland, Great Britain “were the first to deliver, Bulgaria and Romania also helped”, as did the Baltic States.
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6.44 p.m .: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has rejected criticism that heavy weapons have not yet been delivered to Ukraine. Germany will “deliver all” of the announced weapon systems, Scholz said on Monday after a meeting with East German prime ministers. Industry and the Bundeswehr prepared this.
According to Scholz, it “would have been a mistake” to simply deliver modern weapon systems such as the Panzerhaubitze 2000 “without any instruction, without training”. The training is now taking place in Germany, said the Chancellor. This also applies to the anti-aircraft tank Gepard.
The goal must be to provide Ukraine with “really effective help,” emphasized Scholz. The Ukrainian military must also be able to use heavy equipment in the war against Russia. “You have to be trained for that.” This also applies to other state-of-the-art systems such as the Cobra tracking radar and the Iris-T air defense system, the delivery of which Scholz had announced.
1:23 p.m .: After she was critical of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin dismissed a prominent lawyer from the civil service. By decree on Monday, Putin removed Natalya Poklonskaya from her post as deputy head of Rossotrudnichestvo – an organization affiliated with the Russian Foreign Ministry that, among other things, campaigns for Russia’s interests in other ex-Soviet states.
Poklonskaya, now 42, suddenly became famous after Russia’s annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014 – as a prosecutor general who rendered loyal services to the Kremlin. In Ukraine, she was accused of being a traitor. Later she was a member of the Russian parliament and ambassador in Cape Verde, Africa.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February, however, Poklonskaya spoke of a “disaster”. Addressing the Russians – but also to the Ukrainians – she also said: “Please stop! It seems to me that we have gone too far and it is time to find courage for the future on our own and not into the laying hands of those who are armed.”
She later described the letter Z, used as a propaganda symbol for Russia’s war against Ukraine, as emblematic of “tragedy and sadness for both Russia and Ukraine.” After these statements, the state organization Rossotrudnichestvo, for which Poklonskaya worked for only a few months, announced “consequences”.
9.37 a.m .: The former Russian Prime Minister and current exile opposition leader Mikhail Kasyanov has warned of the devastating consequences for peace in Europe if Ukraine, which had been attacked by Russia, lost the war. “If Ukraine falls, the Baltic states will be next,” Kasyanov warned in a video interview with the AFP news agency. He appealed to the West not to make any concessions to Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin.
Kasyanov emphasized that he “categorically” rejects French President Emmanuel Macron’s assessment that Putin should not be “humiliated”. He is also extremely critical of demands that Ukraine cede areas to Russia in favor of a peace settlement with Moscow. “What did Putin do to deserve this?” Kasyanov asked. “I think that’s wrong and I hope the West won’t go that route.”
5:30 a.m .: The Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk expects Chancellor Olaf Scholz to promise the delivery of German tanks to Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv. “Unfortunately, without German heavy weapons, we will not be able to break Russia’s massive military superiority and save the lives of soldiers and civilians,” Melnyk told the German Press Agency.
“The Ukrainians expect that Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during his visit to Kyiv, will announce a new aid package for German armaments, which should include Leopard 1 main battle tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles that must be delivered immediately.”
Melnyk said it was disappointing how slowly Germany was delivering arms to Ukraine. Six million rounds of ammunition have arrived since May 3, but no more weapons. “Therefore, we hope that the traffic light government will finally step on the gas pedal to massively increase both the scope and pace for Ukraine to repel the Russian major offensive in Donbass.”
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