The trend of the war in Ukraine is firmly in Russia's favor and for Kiev obtaining new military aid is now a question of "life and death". The G7 Foreign Affairs, meeting in Capri under the presidency of Antonio Tajani, acknowledged this urgency, which translated into the need to accelerate the supply of anti-aircraft systems. The priority is Patriot and Samp-T, reiterated Dmytro Kuleba when meeting his partners on the island. The challenge, the head of the Farnesina warned, is to prevent the defeat of those who defend their country, otherwise Putin from this position of strength "will never sit at a table" to negotiate peace. The risks of escalation in the Middle East do not distract the attention of Western diplomacy from the other serious theater of conflict. It is no coincidence that Tajani also invited his Ukrainian colleague Kuleba and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to Capri, to take stock of what Kiev needs to continue to resist the invasion. The main news in the meantime has come from the United States, because the House has scheduled the vote for Saturday on the 61 billion package which has been blocked for months by the Republicans. The White House is especially pressing on this vote, Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured in a face-to-face meeting with Kuleba on the sidelines of the G7. Inviting "everyone to make every effort to continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs". The renewed commitment of everyone, this is precisely the key to trying to reverse the fate of the war. The EU high representative Joseph Borrell is convinced of this, according to which "we cannot only count the USA and we must take our responsibility". Hence the call to "take Patriot and anti-missile systems out of warehouses and send them to Ukraine".
Kuleba confirmed that American- and Franco-Italian-made systems are the "priority" for strengthening the arsenal: the reason is that "they are the only ones capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles." Kiev's main concern is not the will of the allies, because Ukrainians "see no divisions." For Kuleba "what we need to work on is the timing, and this is the main purpose of my presence here. To make deliveries happen as quickly as possible. Tomorrow". Germany, which is the main potential donor in Europe, having 12 Patriot batteries at its disposal, has already taken action in recent days by announcing the sending of a third anti-aircraft system. Even at the G7, Berlin asserted its choice, but pressed its allies not to be left alone in this effort. Stoltenberg, confirming the "urgency" of the dossier, explained that NATO "is talking to some countries" in addition to Germany to come forward on the Patriots. But the Alliance also works on other systems, such as Samp-T, Nasams or Iris-t, while countries that do not have them could provide financial support, explained the secretary of the Atlantic Alliance, noting "encouraging signs" : in recent days Denmark and the Netherlands have moved with 4 billion euros for Ukrainian defense. While we are working with the Kiev government to help it build its own factories to produce armaments. Positive signals have also arrived in Brussels. At the end of the EU Council of Leaders, President Charles Michel assured that on new weapons for Ukraine "there will be a response within days or weeks, not months". "We are making every possible effort, I am not very prepared on the tools we have at our disposal but certainly the indication given by Minister Crosetto is to do everything possible", confirmed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for her part. And to help Kiev the hypothesis of using extra profits on frozen Russian assets remains on the table. The discussion continues, as confirmed by the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G7 who met in Washington on the sidelines of the work of the International Monetary Fund. It is above all the United States that are pushing for this solution, while there are more cautious positions among Europeans.
'They were preparing attacks', 2 Russian spies arrested in Germany
They had been hired by Russian intelligence and had targeted military transport routes in Germany to sabotage aid to Kiev. With this heavy accusation, two agents were arrested in Bavaria who allegedly planned incendiary and explosive attacks against military infrastructure and industrial sites on the territory of the Federal Republic, and who also spied on American NATO bases in the country led by Olaf Scholz. A very serious case which led within a few hours of official confirmation - after the Spiegel preview - the summoning of the Russian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry and the announcement of an increase in security measures by the Interior Ministry . The German government's line, meanwhile, does not change. "We will not be intimidated and will continue to provide massive support to Ukraine," said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. While Annalena Baerbock, in Capri for the second day of the G7 of Foreign Ministers, reacted with a fiery post on bring your terrorism to Germany.
This was communicated to the Russian ambassador today in the summons." The news of the arrests comes on the day in which Chancellor Scholz, in Brussels, reminded partners that his government has provided two Patriot anti-aircraft defense systems, encouraging allies to do their part, while the number two of the executive, the green Robert Habeck showed up unexpectedly in Kiev also to talk about reconstruction. Returning to the operation ordered by the federal prosecutor's office, on Wednesday morning Dieter S., 39 years old, and Alexander J., 37, born in Russia but both also of German nationality, were arrested. The attention of the investigators was focused above all on the first, a former militiaman who operated among the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine from 2014 to 2016.
Investigations revealed that the man had been in contact with someone from the Russian services since last October to consult on possible sabotage actions in Germany. In particular, he would have made himself available for incendiary and explosive ambushes, especially on infrastructures and industrial sites used for military purposes. Among the possible targets, there are also bases of American soldiers in the Federal Republic, such as that of Grafenwoehr, in Rhineland-Palatinate, the Dpa revealed. The second arrested, Alexander J., reportedly collaborated in the plans only since March. The investigators searched the homes of both. While Bild talked about the 50 square meter two-room apartment, in one of the terraced buildings in a small town in Bavaria, Heinersreuth, in the Bayreuth area, where the ex-fighter lived without arousing the suspicion of the neighbours, who define him as a type of normal and respectful ways. While the German media, in light of the averted threat, are questioning how exposed Germany is to Russian reprisals for its support for Ukraine, a spy in the service of Moscow was also arrested in Poland, who is said to have even planned an attack on President Volodymyr Zelensky. In this case it was Pawel K. who ended up in handcuffs, accused of having worked to "collect and provide information to the military secret services of the Russian Federation, in particular to help the Russian special services plan a possible attack against Ukrainian President Zelensky" , as stated in a statement from the Polish prosecutor's office.