Ukraine conflict: Vitali Klitschko with allegations against the federal government - Baerbock calls for "patience and perseverance"

Created: 01/14/2022, 12:58 p.m

By: Clara Marie Tietze, Bedrettin Bölükbasi

Russia has not ruled out a military presence in Cuba and Venezuela should talks with the US fail.

Baerbock, however, required patience and perseverance.

The news ticker.

• Against the background of increased tensions with the West, Russia* threatens a possible military presence in Cuba and Venezuela

  (see first report)

  .

• Federal Foreign Minister Baerbock* called for a united stance on the part of the EU* as well as patience and perseverance in talks with Russia

  (see update from January 13, 3:30 p.m.)

  .

• Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko criticizes the federal government and the negotiations between the USA and Russia on security in Ukraine (

  see update from January 14, 9.40 a.m.

  ).

• This news ticker is continuously updated.

Update from January 14, 9.40 a.m .:

Former boxing star Vitali Klitschko continues to heat up the conflict between Kiev and Moscow.

As mayor of the Ukrainian capital, the 50-year-old is responsible for civil defense in the city.

He criticizes the federal government: They hesitate "to supply us with defensive weapons for fear of being able to provoke Putin further.

This position is difficult to understand,” he shared with the

.

Russian President Putin has accused Klitschko of provocation.

According to US findings, Russia is said to have massed almost 100,000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine.

Military exercises with tanks and live ammunition are said to have been carried out.

What particularly bothers Klitschko is that the negotiations between the United States and Russia on security in Ukraine are currently taking place without Ukraine being directly involved.

The country is "not sitting at the table in international negotiations," affirmed Klitschko in an interview with the picture.

"How can that be?"

Baerbock on the Ukraine conflict: Talks are particularly important - "with a lot of patience and perseverance"

Update from January 13, 3:30 p.m .:

Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has campaigned for the talks with Russia to continue, despite the lack of results so far. "Even if there have been no real movements at the moment, it is important that we finally return to the dialogue table," said the Green politician on the sidelines of an EU meeting in Brest, France. According to Baerbock, the EU must appear united and focus on both toughness and dialogue.

It is also central that talks have started again not only in the NATO-Russia Council, but also within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Baerbock did not want to comment specifically on the question of whether, in her view, Russia's demand for the withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from countries like Germany should be discussed.

“Disarmament issues must and should be discussed.

But now that we're seated at the table, I'm not openly commenting on any individual considerations," she said.

“The important thing is that we are sitting at the table, that talks are being held now.

And - even if it's hard - with a lot of patience and perseverance," added Baerbock.

Russia threatens: Putin's troops soon in Cuba and Venezuela?

First message:

The recent tensions between Russia and the West are now taking a new turn. Moscow brought up a possible military presence in the southern United States* and thus indirectly threatened it. If the talks on binding security guarantees for Moscow fail, Russia will not rule out stationing its troops in Cuba and Venezuela, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

"I don't want to confirm or rule out anything," said the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister in response to a question on the RTVi channel.

"Everything depends on the actions of American colleagues," Ryabkov said.

Russia also sees its security threatened by the US military presence in Europe.

Most recently, head of state Vladimir Putin * had raised the question of how Washington would react if the Russian military were stationed near the US border.

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister also commented on possible further talks with the West.

"I see no reason to sit down and start the same discussions again in the coming days," said the deputy foreign minister.

He accused the Western partners of a lack of "flexibility" in conducting negotiations on "serious issues".

NATO-Russia meeting: Moscow warns of military confrontation and accuses West of "arrogance".

On Wednesday

, representatives of the 30 NATO countries and Russia held talks for the first time in two and a half years * - about the Ukraine conflict and security guarantees.

There were

also talks on Thursday

A high-level meeting of representatives of Russia and the United States was held in Geneva

on Monday

Russia sees its security threatened by the progress of NATO and is therefore demanding an end to NATO's eastward expansion and, in particular, a waiver of Ukraine*. Moscow was disappointed by the negotiations. Immediately after the negotiations, Ryabkov warned the US not to underestimate the danger of a military confrontation and refused to change the Russian position. Rather, it is NATO that must change its position.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke of a "serious confrontation on the world stage" and accused the West of an "arrogant" attitude.

Russia's next steps would depend on the West's reaction to Moscow's proposals: "We will wait for that.

And then we will determine our next steps.”