ARCHIVE – Former US President Donald Trump at an event. Photo: Michael Conroy/AP/dpa
The Kremlin took up this gratefully. The United States could quickly end the “war in Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Russian news agency Interfax on Friday. “The President of the United States can do this very quickly, using, say, his abilities and, in fact, simply giving instructions to the Kiev regime,” Peskov said. The West, on the other hand, recognizes the right of sovereign Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian war of conquest and gives it massive support in doing so. Without this weapon support, Ukraine would hardly be able to withstand the Russian attack.
Kremlin accuses US of escalation
Peskov again accused the United States of what Moscow has been doing since the attack on all of Ukraine on February 24 last year. Instead of looking for a solution, the US had chosen the path of escalation, criticized Peskow. For example, the decision to deliver European battle tanks to Ukraine was made under pressure from the United States. In fact, however, it was many NATO partners and Ukraine who had urged Germany to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Peskow also accused the US of not taking any steps towards a negotiated solution. However, Russia denies Ukraine’s right to exist and it remained unclear what could then be negotiated. Ukraine believes that talks with Moscow will only be possible again once the Russian troops have withdrawn from their entire territory, including Crimea, which was annexed in violation of international law in 2014.
According to Baerbock’s statement, the government emphasizes that they are not a war party
After a controversial statement by Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), the government in Berlin stressed on Friday that Germany was not a war party in the Ukraine war. “NATO and Germany are not at war with Russia in this war of aggression against Ukraine,” said deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann on Friday in Berlin. The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, had previously asked for a statement from the German ambassador in Moscow about “contradictory” statements from Berlin. Baerbock had called on Tuesday at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg for the cohesion of the western allies with the following words: “We are fighting a war against Russia and not against each other.” The Russian state media also took up this statement as a central key sentence for their war propaganda, Germany and the other EU countries were fighting against Russia.
Auschwitz survivors horrified by Russia’s war
At the commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the liberation of the former German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz, a survivor expressed her horror at Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. «The Russian troops who liberated us here are now at war in Ukraine. Why? Why is there such a policy?” said 89-year-old Zdzislawa Wlodarczyk on Friday at the memorial of the former concentration and extermination camp. In Auschwitz, the National Socialists murdered more than a million people, mostly Jews.
US classifies Russian mercenary force as a criminal organization
The US government has declared the Russian private army Wagner a transnational criminal organization and imposed sanctions on the mercenary group and its network. The US State Department also again imposed sanctions on several other Russian entities and supporters of President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesman Peskov dismissed the “demonization” of the group as unfounded. No evidence of any crimes was presented. The Wagner private army, which currently employs 10,000 mercenaries and 40,000 prisoners in Ukraine, is accused of numerous war crimes.
London sees evidence of disinformation about Russian advance
According to British intelligence services, Moscow could deliberately spread misinformation about the progress of its own troops in Ukraine. In recent days, Russian online commentators have been reporting on significant breaches by Ukraine’s defense lines in the Zaporizhia region and near the city of Wuhledar in the Donbass region, Britain’s Defense Ministry reported in its daily briefing on Twitter on Friday. In fact, Russian troops are said to have carried out local reconnaissance attacks in these places, but made no decisive progress, sources in London said. The Russians may have wanted to give the impression that their advance was gaining momentum.
Selenski demands more weapons
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed his country’s need for further arms deliveries beyond the now promised main battle tanks. “Russian aggression can only be stopped with adequate weapons,” said Zelensky in his evening video address on Thursday. According to its own statements, Ukraine also needs fighter jets, among other things. Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has rejected such a delivery. Meanwhile, the first Ukrainian soldiers have arrived in Germany for training on the Marder infantry fighting vehicle.
Poland would support delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine
Poland’s government, on the other hand, says it would support NATO if it decides to deliver combat aircraft to Ukraine. “I think we, NATO, have to be braver,” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told French broadcaster LCI. But of course it could only be a decision by NATO as a whole, said the head of government. The USA and France do not rule out the delivery of fighter jets.
Pentagon: Delivery of Abrams tanks not a “symbolic” act
According to the US government, the delivery of Abrams main battle tanks is not a “symbolic” act. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said she had heard statements that the US announcement was only intended to clear the way for allies to deliver tanks. However, this is not the case. The US main battle tanks would give Ukraine an advantage on the battlefield, Singh said. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine could drag on for years. The spokeswoman emphasized that the provision of the Abrams tanks shows the long-term commitment of the United States.
Detonations around Zaporizhia nuclear plant: IAEA penetrates security zone
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is again pushing for a safe zone around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia. Such a zone would ensure that the power plant would not be shot at and that there would be no shelling from there, said IAEA chief Rafael Grossi on Friday night. The reason for the demand were several detonations in the vicinity of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant on Thursday.
(SDA)