By June, the federal government approved around 350 million for German armaments in Ukraine. During his visit to Kyiv, Melnyk expects Scholz to promise that tanks will be delivered. All voices and developments on the Ukraine war here in the ticker.
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.”
5:04 a.m .: In the first three months of the Ukraine war, the federal government approved the delivery of weapons and other armaments worth 350.1 million euros to the country attacked by Russia. This emerges from a response from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection to a request from the Left MP Sevim Dagdelen, which is available to the German Press Agency.
From the first day of the war, February 24, to June 1, the government gave the go-ahead for the delivery of weapons of war for 219.8 million euros and other armaments such as helmets and protective vests for 85.2 million euros. In addition, there are weapons and equipment for the Bundeswehr for 45.1 million euros, which were approved in a simplified procedure from April 1st. There is no breakdown into weapons of war and other armaments for this.
State Secretary Udo Philipp points out in the letter to Dagdelen that the material in question is mostly used by the Bundeswehr and that its “current value” has been calculated – not the sometimes much higher new value.
04:38: Unknown hackers placed a message against the war in Ukraine on the Russian state television website. On the streaming portal “Smotrim.ru” on Sunday evening, for example, next to photos of destruction in Ukraine “Putin destroys Russians and Ukrainians! Stop the war!”, as reported by numerous Internet users on the Internet.
Russian state television later admitted to a hacker attack on “Smotrim” and the website of the news program “Vesti”. As a result, “unauthorized content with extremist calls” was displayed for less than an hour.
In Russia, the war of aggression in Ukraine is officially called a military special operation. Deviating from the official line is punishable as spreading alleged false information about Russian armed forces.
On Monday night, the “Smotrim” website again showed links to propaganda material, for example about the “liberation” of the embattled eastern Ukrainian industrial region of Donbass and the award of the “Hero of Labor” award by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.
In the embattled areas of eastern Ukraine, Russian troops continued to try to advance toward cities like Bakhmut, Slovyansk and Lysychansk, Zelenskyy said. In the strategically important city of Sievjerodonetsk, “literally every meter is fought for”. According to information from Saturday, Ukrainian troops controlled around a third of the city at the time.
8:04 p.m .: In an interview with “Bild”, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko warns other European countries of the danger of an attack by Russia. He mentions Germany explicitly. The country must not forget: “Part of Germany was part of the Soviet empire.” With this, Klitschko once again underlines the desire for military support. He says: “I am firmly convinced that Putin will go as far as we allow him to.” Ukraine therefore urgently needs modern weapons. “If the Russians continue to march, it will be extremely dangerous for every European. If anyone in Germany thinks war is far away. That’s not true, it can affect anyone in the EU.”
Regarding a possible visit to Kyiv by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the mayor says: “If the three heads of state see the situation with their own eyes and talk to the people, then they will understand also emotionally how important it is to support us. With everything – with weapons, with money, with humanitarian support.” It is also essential to stop payments to Russia. “Every penny sent to Russia is bloody money. Because the money is immediately invested in the army.”
6:38 p.m .: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has admitted mistakes in dealing with the energy supply from Russia. “We have relied on energy supplies from Russia for too long and too one-sidedly. (…) The old equation that Russia is a reliable economic partner even in crises no longer applies (…),” said Scholz on Sunday evening in his opening speech at the East German Economic Forum in Bad Saarow. The goal is therefore clear: Germany must become independent of Russian energy imports – “as quickly as possible, but also as safely as necessary,” emphasized the Chancellor.
The federal government always has eastern Germany in mind. It is about security of supply and affordability of energy. “An oil embargo must not lead to massive regional price differences at the pumps. For me, this is a question of solidarity. We all bear the cost of the war together,” he affirmed.
The main topics of what is now the seventh East German Business Forum are security of energy supply in times of crisis and climate change, transformation and recruiting skilled workers. Representatives from business, politics, science and administration want to discuss the opportunities and challenges of current transformation processes until Tuesday.
4:51 p.m .: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has expressed understanding for Turkey’s concerns in the dispute over Finland and Sweden being included in the defense alliance. “We must address the security concerns of all allies, including Turkey’s concerns about the PKK terror group,” Stoltenberg said on a visit to Finland on Sunday. His staff continues to be in close dialogue with representatives of the three countries involved to address Turkey’s legitimate concerns and advance the accession of Finland and Sweden.
“Those are legitimate concerns. This is about terrorism, about arms exports,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö. One must remember that no other NATO country has suffered more terrorist attacks than Turkey. She is an important ally who has played a key role in the fight against terrorist groups such as the Islamic State terrorist militia, has taken in more refugees than any other NATO member and is very important in supporting Ukraine.
“So when an important key ally like Turkey raises concerns about terrorism, then of course we have to sit down and take it seriously,” Stoltenberg said. Finland and Sweden are ready to do that.
4:38 p.m .: EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has accused Russia of blocking UN efforts to export Ukrainian grain. UN negotiators have been trying for weeks to get millions of tons of grain stocks stored in Ukraine onto the world market, for example to avert hunger crises in other regions of the world.
“It is clear who is responsible for the blockade,” Dombrovskis said on Sunday in Geneva before the start of the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference stop exports.”
4:23 p.m .: The Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk demands concrete commitments from Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the planned trip to Kyiv. “We hope that during his visit to Kyiv the chancellor will finally keep the German promises regarding arms deliveries and Ukraine’s accession to the EU,” he told Der Spiegel. Melnyk criticized that they are still waiting for the delivery of heavy weapons such as the Panzerhaubitze 2000 and the Gepard anti-aircraft tank. Announcements alone are no help against the invaders in war. It is therefore hoped that the chancellor will provide concrete data on when the weapons will arrive. “Especially since the promises were made months ago.”
Melnyk is also hoping for progress when it comes to EU accession. “If the German Chancellor, together with the heads of government from Paris and Rome, sends a signal that Ukraine can become a candidate for accession, that would be more than just a strong symbol,” said Melnyk. The diplomat pointed out that Scholz had always said that he didn’t just want to travel to Kyiv for a photo shoot.
3:12 p.m.: Pro-Russian separatist leader Denis Puschilin has rejected calls for the death sentences against three foreign fighters captured in eastern Ukraine to be overturned. “They came to Ukraine to kill civilians for money. That’s why I don’t see any basis for reducing the sentence,” said the head of the self-declared “Donetsk People’s Republic” on Sunday in Mariupol.
The Supreme Court in Donetsk had sentenced Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and Moroccan Brahim Saadun to death on Thursday. He accused them of having fought for Ukraine as mercenaries.
The families of the two Britons rejected this. According to her, both had already moved to Ukraine in 2018, have Ukrainian partners and have been serving in the Ukrainian military for years. Pinner’s family spoke of an “illegal show trial” on Saturday. She was “devastated”.
Saadun’s friends and his father also assured that the 21-year-old was not a mercenary. Accordingly, the young Moroccan had studied in Ukraine and joined the army there last year.
The death sentences met with sharp criticism in Western countries and at the United Nations. Downing Street stated that those convicted were clearly “prisoners of war” and not mercenaries; British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss spoke of an “egregious violation of the Geneva Convention”. The British government says it is supporting Ukraine in its efforts to free the two Britons.
A friend of Saadun’s called on the British government on Sunday to also work for the release of the Moroccan prisoner. “Please take care of people who care about democracy,” demanded Zina Kotenko, who fled to England after the Russian invasion of her homeland, on the Sky News television channel. The Moroccan government has not yet commented on the case.
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