Ukraine conflict: Russia threatens "retaliatory measures" and continues troop deployment at high speed
Created: 01/27/2022 15:09
By: Florian Naumann, Bedrettin Bölükbasi, Stephanie Munk
In the Ukraine conflict, the United States is using heavier guns against Putin.
Russia is unimpressed and starts new military maneuvers on the border.
The news ticker.
In the Ukraine conflict*, Russia recently stationed more than 100,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border.
The West fears a new war in Europe.
Moscow denies attack plans.
US Secretary of Defense Antony Blinken has now clearly rejected Russian demands for the end of NATO's eastward expansion
(see update from January 26, 7:30 p.m.).
According to the findings of Western secret services, Russia has recently continued its troop deployment on the border with Ukraine at a fast pace
(see update from January 27, 6.45 a.m.)
.
This
news ticker on the Ukraine conflict
has ended.
We'll keep you updated in this article.
Update from January 27, 8 a.m.:
With a view to the escalating Ukraine conflict, the German astronaut Alexander Gerst hopes that cooperation with Russia in space can contribute to rapprochement. "It has always been an international understanding," he told the German Press Agency on the sidelines of the European space conference in Brussels. Because space travel is so complex, it forces you to cooperate. “We also view such conflicts with concern. We hope that our fellow human beings can overcome them and we are trying to contribute to this," he emphasized, referring to his Russian colleagues, with whom he is also friends and has been training together for years. These see it the same way.
Gerst pointed out that joint projects in space were also carried out during the Cold War. "When you get on a spaceship with someone, go into space, and then see the outside of Earth, things like nationalities get lost," he said. “You see, there are no limits.” He recalls stepping out of the space capsule in Kazakhstan, a place he had never been before, and smelling the earth. "It seemed like my homeland, like a very familiar place." In September, a rover is to be launched towards the neighboring planet with Russian help as part of the "Exomars" mission. The head of the European space agency Esa, Josef Aschbacher, emphasized in an interview with the dpa that this project is dependent on the partners. “There are of course tensions on the ground,but in space so far we've managed to isolate that and I hope it stays that way.
Ukraine conflict: Secret services are convinced - Russia is continuing to deploy troops at high speed
Update from January 27, 6:45 a.m.:
Specifically, it is considered likely that the number of tactical battalion groups (BTG), currently estimated at around 60, will continue to grow.
This is how highly flexible and fast combat troops with 600 to 1000 soldiers are called.
A Ukrainian soldier checks a machine gun in a shelter in an area controlled by pro-Russian fighters.
© Alexei Alexandrov/AP/dpa
Ukraine conflict: Russia makes new demands - and sets a clear deadline for Kiev
January 26 update. 9:57 p.m .:
During the negotiations to solve the Ukraine conflict on Wednesday in Paris, the Moscow negotiator Dimitri Kozak called on the government in Kiev to hold dialogues with the separatists in the Donbass crisis area.
After more than eight hours of crisis talks, Kosak said in Paris on Wednesday that Kiev now has two weeks to develop a position.
The Kremlin official said that to date, the Ukrainian government has not presented any prospects for the contested parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions either.
This runs counter to all attempts at conflict resolution.
"You won't find a clear position anywhere," said Kosak.
A new summit under Franco-German mediation with Ukraine and Russia will only be possible if there is prior agreement on the planned legal status of the Donbass and on holding elections there.
Normandy talks on Ukraine conflict: "We see the ceasefire is working"
Kiev negotiator Andriy Yermak confirmed that there are significant differences of opinion between Moscow and Kiev.
At the same time he welcomed: "We can see that the ceasefire is working, there have been a few provocations, but it works." Above all, work is continuing on mechanisms to strengthen it.
Ermak said the next meeting is planned in Berlin.
The government in Kiev has so far refused to start talks with the separatists in eastern Ukraine, describing them in the past as Moscow puppets.
In the so-called Normandy format, Germany and France have been mediating between Russia and Ukraine since 2014.
Update from January 26, 7.30 p.m .:
The US government has again clearly rejected the Russian demands for binding commitments to end NATO expansion.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Washington DC on Wednesday that in response to the Russian demands, the US had made it clear "that there are core principles that we are committed to upholding and defending." Sovereignty of states and the associated right to choose their own alliances.
Ukraine conflict: Blinken rejects Russian demands - "NATO's door remains open"
"NATO's door is open and will remain open," said Blinken in the direction of Kiev.
The US government had previously sent the Russian government written answers to Moscow's concerns about security in Europe.
Moscow's US Ambassador John Sullivan handed over the letter to Deputy Secretary of State Alexander Grushko at a meeting, it said.
Blinken said the US would not release the responses.
The US Secretary of State plans to discuss the paper with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the coming days.
According to information from the German Press Agency, the NATO countries have also agreed on a joint written response to Russia's proposal for new security agreements.
In a draft, the government in Moscow had demanded the end of NATO's eastward expansion in order to prevent Ukraine from being included in the western defense alliance.
However, the USA and the remaining NATO members accuse the Kremlin of planning an invasion of eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine conflict: Kiev's ambassador criticizes the federal government's helmet delivery as a "purely symbolic gesture"
Update from January 26, 3:10 p.m .:
The Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin welcomed the delivery of 5,000 military protective helmets promised by the federal government, but at the same time criticized them as a “purely symbolic gesture”.
"It's just a drop in the bucket, it's not even a consolation," said Ambassador Andriy Melnyk of the German Press Agency.
"Ukraine is expecting a 180-degree about-face from the federal government, a true paradigm shift," said Melnyk.
Ukraine is demanding large-scale arms shipments to defend against a possible Russian attack. Melnyk had spoken of warships and air defense systems. He had also asked for 100,000 protective helmets and vests for volunteers. According to the Defense Ministry, Ukraine sent a letter on January 19 asking for equipment assistance, citing helmets and protective vests as needed. However, no specific quantities were requested.
Melnyk said that the delivery of the helmets was "the first sign that the traffic light government is finally trying to critically question its absolutely incomprehensible blockade attitude so that Ukraine's defense capability can be strengthened in view of the acute danger of war".
At the same time, however, it is nothing more than a purely symbolic gesture, above all to calm the excitement in the Ukrainian and European public.
"We don't need tactics and manoeuvring, but courageous action by the Federal Republic, which is finally supplying Ukraine with German defensive weapons, which we need most of all today," emphasized Melnyk.
The mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, also spoke about the federal government's support for the helmet.
"The behavior of the German federal government just leaves me speechless," Klitschko told
Bild
.
The defense minister "apparently did not understand that we are dealing with a perfectly equipped Russian army that can start the further invasion of Ukraine at any time," said the mayor of Kiev.
5000 helmets are therefore “an absolute joke”.
“What does Germany want to send next in support?
Pillow?” Klitschko asked.
Ukraine conflict: Klitschko already has an emergency plan for Kiev - Russian arms deliveries to eastern Ukraine?
Update from January 26, 2:10 p.m .:
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that in the event of Russian aggression against the Ukrainian capital, he wanted to use the city’s subway network as the main bunker for residents. "We have worked out a clear plan and published information about bunkers near certain buildings," Klitschko said, according to Ukraine's state agency
Ukrinform
.
"Kiev Metro has been identified as a key bunker," the mayor announced. Should an attack take place, the intention is to evacuate the city's residents to the subway stations. Sirens have also been set up to warn people in the capital of an attack. "I hope that this problem will be solved at the political level and that we will not come to such an extreme scenario," emphasized Klitschko. The possibility of military action is a "terrible scenario".
Update from January 26, 2:05 p.m .:
Andrei Turchak, the first deputy spokesman of the Russian Federation Council and general secretary of the party “United Russia”, which is often characterized as the Kremlin party, called for the delivery of Russian weapons to the internationally unrecognized “Donetsk and People’s Republics”. Luhansk” in eastern Ukraine.
He justified the demand for arms deliveries to pro-Russian separatists with an “imminent aggression” against the area.
According to Turchak, this is a kind of retaliation against Western arms deliveries to Ukraine.
As reported by the Russian state news agency
Tass
, Turchak said on the channel Rossiya-24: "I think under these circumstances we need to provide Luhansk and Donetsk with the necessary support in the form of specific weapons to increase their defense capabilities." clear military aggression,” Turtschak claimed.
According to the Secretary General, his party "United Russia" is watching with concern "how the West is pumping weapons into Ukraine".
Ukraine crisis: Federal government now wants to send 5,000 helmets to Kiev - "very clear signal"
Update from January 26, 1:50 p.m.:
With regard to the planned delivery of military helmets to Ukraine, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht spoke of a “very clear signal”. "We stand by your side," said the SPD politician after a meeting of the defense committee in Berlin. She welcomed the fact that talks on the Ukraine conflict are getting back on track. "We are working to resolve this conflict peacefully in the middle of Europe," she said.
At the same time, Lambrecht emphasized that there were red lines in these talks that could not be negotiated. “Compliance with international law cannot be negotiated. The integrity of states and the sovereignty of the alliance cannot be discussed,” she emphasized. Ukraine, which fears a Russian attack, has repeatedly demanded a delivery of weapons from Germany, too, but was largely rejected by the traffic light coalition. On January 19, Ukraine wrote to the Ministry of Defense asking for equipment assistance, citing helmets and body armor as needed. According to the ministry, no specific quantities were requested. Lambrecht pointed to Germany's extensive commitment to Ukraine.Aid amounting to 1.8 billion euros would be provided in development cooperation alone.
Update from January 26, 1:05 p.m .:
Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht announced that Germany will deliver 5,000 military protective helmets to Ukraine.
That's what the SPD politician said in Berlin to the members of the defense committee, as the German Press Agency learned from the meeting.
Ukraine conflict: Russia threatens "retaliatory measures" - Kiev does not yet see any major offensive
Update from January 26, 12:45 p.m .:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov again threatened the West with measures if Russia’s demands for security guarantees are not heeded.
"If there are no constructive answers and the West continues with an aggressive stance, then Moscow will take the necessary retaliatory measures," the top Russian diplomat in the State Duma said, according to Russia's
Ria Novosti agency
.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made this clear several times, according to Lavrov.
Moscow expects written answers within this week, he also said.
In addition, Moscow will not allow Russia to be portrayed as a party to the conflict in Ukraine.
The Foreign Minister announced that action would also be taken against this.
Update from January 26, 12:35 p.m .:
According to the government in Kiev, the strength of the Russian troops stationed in the border area with Ukraine is not yet sufficient for a large-scale attack.
Russia has concentrated significant forces "along the border and in occupied areas of Ukraine," which poses "a direct threat," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
But "for a large-scale offensive along the entire Ukrainian border" they were not enough.
Kuleba did not rule out that Russia could soon increase troop levels to a level sufficient for a large-scale attack.
However, the Kremlin is primarily working to “destabilize” Ukraine with “scaremongering, pressure on the Ukrainian financial system and cyber attacks”.
Russian President Vladimir "Putin would be satisfied if this plan worked and he didn't have to use military force," said the Foreign Minister.
Kuleba also commented on the US written response to Russian demands for security guarantees.
The positions of Ukraine were taken into account in the American response, which is why there are no contradictions.
According to Kuleba, Ukraine is in constant coordination with allies and partners: "We know exactly what our partners will say to the Russian Federation."
Ukraine conflict: Kremlin expects "open discussion" and wants "maximum result" from Normandy meetings
Update from January 26, 12:00 p.m .:
Russia expects a “long, open and fruitful discussion” from the Paris crisis meeting with representatives of Ukraine. The result should be maximum, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in Moscow, according to the
Interfax agency
. It is difficult to assess how high this maximum will be. The political advisors to the heads of state and government of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine wanted to meet in the French capital in the so-called Normandy format. Berlin and Paris are mediating in the conflict that has been going on for almost eight years. It is the first meeting between Russia and Ukraine since the current tensions began over the massive Russian troop deployment near Ukraine.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West of pressuring Ukraine towards a violent solution.
He referred to arms deliveries and "provocative maneuvers near our borders".
In addition, Lavrov made it clear once again that the conflict can only be overcome if Ukraine implements the peace plan agreed in Minsk (Belarus) in 2015.
Russia is not a party in the conflict.
The West sees it differently.
Head of state President Vladimir Putin wants to call his French colleague Emmanuel Macron this Friday.
Ukraine crisis: Security experts shoot at German position - Biden threatens Putin directly
Update from January 26, 11:10 a.m .:
Germany initially responded well to the Ukraine crisis with diplomatic steps, but then fell back into “old reflexes”, said Jonathan Eyal, a British security expert at the Royal United Services Institute, the
mirror
. “There was tension over the delivery of military material to Ukraine, there was tension when British planes with armaments wanted to fly over Germany. The whole thing was accompanied by the grumbling of the Germans that they wanted to avoid a confrontation with Russia at all costs," emphasized the expert. The government in Berlin makes a "rather confused, insecure impression".
There were also comments from France on the German position. "The Ukraine crisis reveals all the weaknesses of German foreign policy as if under a magnifying glass," said Hélène Miard-Delacroix, professor of German studies at the Sorbonne University in Paris, in an
interview with
Der Spiegel
. In addition to a disagreement in the traffic light coalition, there is also a structural problem: "German foreign policy wants to square the circle". The French security expert described the state of German security policy as “neither fish nor meat”, which has been the case for decades. "If Berlin continues to be too quiet, Germany will be accused of only thinking about business with Russia," Miard-Delacroix warned.
Update from January 26, 11:05 a.m .:
Due to the hesitant attitude of the German government in relation to the Ukraine crisis, security experts see Germany’s credibility dwindling. Former US general and commander-in-chief of US land forces in Europe Ben Hodges, for example, drew attention to Germany's important role and argued that Germany is America's most important ally, but described the current situation as "frustrating".
"But it's frustrating to see that Germany's credibility seems to be eroding with the current inaction," the former general told
Der Spiegel
.
One cannot claim, Hodges said, "to be a champion of European values and the European peace order and then sit back when the Kremlin comes and attacks all of this head-on".
He urged Germany to take a leading role and not bow to Russia: “What the Kremlin sees is the same old Germany: it's about gas.
It's business.
And the Germans are not ready to stand up and say enough is enough."
Berlin must make it clear in all diplomatic formats that Russia is committing illegal actions.
He also called for a reconsideration of the policy on arms deliveries to Ukraine.
“Germany sells arms to Egypt, which is embroiled in conflicts with Yemen and Libya, but refuses to sell arms to Ukraine.
That's hypocrisy," Hodges pointed out.
Update from January 26, 10:50 a.m .:
In the wake of the Ukraine conflict, US President Joe Biden threatened for the first time to impose sanctions directly on President Vladimir Putin in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"I can imagine that," Biden replied to a reporter's question.
He previously stressed that a Russian attack on Ukraine would be the "biggest invasion since World War II" and would "change the world".
Both US President Biden and senior US officials regularly warn Russia of “massive consequences” should an attack on Ukraine occur.
The sanctions should primarily be of a financial and economic nature.
However, large US companies warned against excessive measures and expressed concern.
The Kremlin responded to this consideration of direct sanctions against Putin in the Ukraine conflict, calling it "destructive".
"Politically, this is not painful, but destructive," said Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov in Moscow.
Sanctions against Putin are pointless because senior Russian officials are banned from owning assets abroad.
However, such a move would seriously harm diplomatic efforts, he warned.
Ukraine crisis: Lukashenko wants a task force on the border - "must be ready for anything"
Update from January 26, 10:05 a.m .:
The Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko stated that his country had to form a task force on the border with Ukraine to protect the area. The situation there is just as tense as on the border with Poland. “Unfortunately, our relations with Ukraine are not easy. Therefore, we need to form a task force in a short time to protect the 1,500-kilometer border with Ukraine," Lukashenko said, according to the Belarusian state news agency BelTA.
Earlier, the United States warned the Belarusian ruler against supporting Russia in a possible attack on Ukraine.
Belarusian and Russian troops are preparing for a joint military exercise on the border with Ukraine.
Lukashenko rejected allegations of provocation.
"I don't think we're provocative, but if something happens we have to be ready for anything," he underlined.
Ukraine conflict: Third batch of US weapons arrives in Kiev - Biden government warns Belarus
Update from January 26, 9:35 a.m .:
In the Ukraine conflict with Russia, the United States continues to provide military support to Kiev.
Another, third, cargo plane carrying 79 tons of military support, including 300 Javelin anti-tank missiles, has arrived in the Ukrainian capital, the US Embassy in Kyiv announced.
"The US stands with Ukraine and we will continue to provide support that Ukraine needs," the embassy's official Twitter account said.
The delivery is part of the $200 million security package.
The package was approved by US President Joe Biden in December 2021.
"The message is clear: the US stands with Ukraine, its allies and partners," Acting US Ambassador Kristina Kvien noted as the weapons were unloaded from the plane.
She reiterated American support for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as Kiev's right to self-defense.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov thanked the "strategic partner" USA on Twitter and stated that a fourth plane was expected to arrive shortly.
"Should an invasion come from Belarus, should Russian troops be stationed permanently on its territory, then NATO could reconsider its own troop deployments in countries bordering Belarus," Price said.
Longtime Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko is an ally of Putin.
He had violently suppressed mass protests against his controversial re-election.
Ukraine: Biden fears 'biggest invasion since World War II'
Update from January 25, 9:20 p.m
.: Given the massive troop presence near the border, a Russian invasion of Ukraine could, according to US President Joe Biden, be the “biggest invasion since World War II”.
Such a move would “change the world,” Biden warned Tuesday.
Referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden said he was “continuing to expand the troop presence along the Ukrainian border.”
Biden again warned Russia of drastic sanctions and countermeasures in the event of an attack.
At the same time, he stressed that there were no plans to move US troops to Ukraine.
"No American forces will be transferred to Ukraine," Biden said.
Yesterday, the US military put around 8,500 soldiers on increased readiness to enable them to be transferred to Europe at short notice if necessary.
Biden said it remains unclear whether Putin is actually planning an attack.
"I'll be perfectly honest with you: It's a bit like reading coffee grounds."
Ukraine conflict: Scholz and Macron on the Normandy format
Update from January 25, 6:34 p.m
.: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and French President Emmanuel Macron rely on diplomacy within the framework of the Normandy format in the Ukraine conflict.
After a meeting in Berlin on Tuesday, the Chancellor and President welcomed the planned resumption of talks between Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine at the advisory level on Wednesday.
At the same time, Macron and Scholz made a threat to Russia.
Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron at a press conference in Berlin on Tuesday.
© Tobias Schwarz/Pool/AFP
Update from January 25, 6:05 p.m .:
The United States is preparing for a possible reduction in Russian gas supplies to Europe in the event of an escalation in the Ukraine conflict.
"We work with countries and companies around the world to ensure security of supply and cushion price shocks for both the American people and the global economy," a senior US official said in Washington on Tuesday.
"We are in discussions with major natural gas producers around the world to determine their capacity and willingness to temporarily increase natural gas production and to allocate these volumes to European customers."
The government official pointed out that gas was stored in storage facilities in Europe for several weeks.
Efforts were aimed at providing replacements within days or weeks, not months, in the event of a reduction or failure of Russian supplies.
The United States repeatedly suspects Russia of wanting to use energy as a weapon.
The Kremlin, on the other hand, has dismissed fears in Germany that Russia could turn off the gas supply in the event of sanctions.
Another US official pointed to the serious consequences for the Russian economy if Moscow exploited gas or oil supplies in the conflict.
Russia needs revenues from oil and gas exports at least as much as Europe needs energy supplies.
“So this is not an asymmetric advantage for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.
It's a mutual dependency.”
Ukraine conflict: Boris Johnson threatens Putin with sanctions "tougher than anything seen before"
Update from January 25, 4:10 p.m.:
Die Ukrainer würden sich nach Einschätzung des britischen Premiers „verbissen und hartnäckig“ gegen einen russischen Einmarsch wehren. Der daraus resultierende Konflikt wäre „vergleichbar mit dem ersten Krieg in Tschetschenien oder Bosnien oder jedem anderen Konflikt, den Europa seit 1945 erlebt hat“, sagte Johnson.
Russland-Konflikt spitzt sich zu: Ukraine verstärkt offenbar Truppen um Tschernobyl
Update vom 25. Januar, 15.30 Uhr: Die Sorge vor einem möglichen russischen Einmarsch in der Ukraine ist groß. Laut einem Bericht der New York Times hat sich das Land nun sogar für eine Invasion über eine unwahrscheinlich anmutende Route gewappnet: Im Fokus steht das radioaktiv verseuchte Gebiet um den Unglücks-Reaktor in Tschernobyl.
So habe die Ukraine bereits vor zwei Monaten zusätzliche Truppen in die Gegend verlegt. Die Sperrzone um Tschernobyl liegt nahe der Grenze zu Belarus, auch dorthin waren russische Einheiten verlegt worden. Insgesamt 7.500 Ukrainer seien an die belarussische Grenze gebracht worden, ein Vertreter des ukrainischen Grenzschutzes erklärte auf Anfrage des Blattes allerdings nicht, wie viele davon nach Tschernobyl. Offenbar wurden notdürftige Vorkehrungen zum Schutz der Patrouillen getroffen: Die Soldaten müssten Geräte zur Kontrolle der Strahlenbelastung mit sich tragen, berichtet die Times.
Ukrainian border guard lieutenant Yuri Shakhraichuk defended the approach in an interview with the newspaper: "It doesn't matter whether it's contaminated here or nobody lives here," he emphasized: "This is our territory, our country, and we have to defend it." “.
Impression from the ghost town of Pripyat - here, too, Ukraine is preparing for a Russian invasion.
© Konrad Zelazowski/imago-images
Ukraine conflict comes to a head: Putin sends thousands of soldiers on maneuvers - NATO "instantly" ready
Update from January 25, 2:50 p.m .:
Russia is exacerbating the situation in the Ukraine conflict with further military exercises (
see previous update
) - doch auch der Westen ergreift zumindest Planungsschritte für Truppenbewegungen: Truppen seien augenblicklich zu einer Verlegung in der Lage, wenn eine solche Entscheidung falle, erklärte US-Vize-Sicherheitsberater Jonathan Finer. Zuvor hatten die USA angekündigt, 8500 Soldaten in Transportbereitschaft zu versetzen. Die Truppen sollen sich nach Angaben des US-Verteidigungsministeriums für eine möglicherweise kurzfristige Verlegung nach Europa bereithalten. Entscheidungen über mögliche Truppenbewegungen liegen einem Vertreter der US-Regierung zufolge bei der Nato. Das Verteidigungsbündnis habe das Sagen mit Blick auf eine veränderte Stationierung von Einheiten, sagte Finer.Die Europäische Kommission ist unterdessen in ihrer Vorbereitung möglicher Maßnahmen gegen Russland nach EU-Angaben weit fortgeschritten. Das sagte ein EU-Sprecher vor Journalisten. Dies gelte für Maßnahmen zur Abschreckung wie zur Reaktion für den Fall, dass der Dialog scheitere und Russland nicht deeskaliere. „Sollte Russland künftig damit beginnen, die territoriale Souveränität der Ukraine zu verletzen, werden wir sehr entschieden reagieren.“ Dem Aggressor drohten weitreichende politische Konsequenzen und massive wirtschaftliche Folgen. Noch am Abend werden sich Kanzler Olaf Scholz und Frankreichs Präsident Emmanuel Macron treffen. Thema ist dann wohl auch die Ukraine.
Die britische Regierung hält einen Kampfeinsatz britischer Soldaten in der Ukraine indes für unwahrscheinlich - ohne ihn ganz auszuschließen. Außenministerin Liz Truss sagt im Parlament auf die Frage, ob Truppen für einen Kampfeinsatz entsandt werden könnten: „Es ist sehr unwahrscheinlich, dass dies der Fall sein wird“. Großbritannien arbeite darauf hin, dass das ukrainische Militär die Waffen und die Ausbildung bekomme, die es zur Selbstverteidigung benötige.
Ukraine: Russland hält weitere Militärübungen ab - „Überprüfung der Kampfbereitschaft“
Update vom 25. Januar, 14.35 Uhr: Trotz aller Drohungen des Westens: Russlands Präsident Wladimir Putin provoziert erneut im Ukraine-Konflikt. Am Dienstag hat er mit neuen Militärübungen im Süden des Landes und auf der Krim begonnen. An den Manövern sind nach Angaben russischer Nachrichtenagenturen 6000 Soldaten, mindestens 60 Kampfflugzeuge und Schiffe der Schwarzmeer- und der Kaspischen Flotte beteiligt. Es handele sich um einen „teilstreitkräfteübergreifenden“ Einsatz, sagte der Kommandeur der russischen Streitkräfte für Südrussland, Alexander Dwornikow.
Die Manöver dienten der Überprüfung der Kampfbereitschaft, meldeten die Agenturen. Soldaten an der Grenze zur Ukraine trainierten, wie bei einem Befehl Fahrzeuge und Technik schnellstmöglich startklar gemacht werden, um in ein Einsatzgebiet auszurücken. Der Vorgang dürfte die Spannungen zwischen Russland, der Ukraine und dem Westen weiter verstärken. Vor rund einer Woche hatte Moskau bereits ein gemeinsames Militärmanöver mit Belarus begonnen.
Update vom 25. Januar, 14.16 Uhr: Um sich gegen Aggressionen Russlands verteidigen zu können, fordert die Ukraine Waffenlieferungen auch von Deutschland. Doch die Scholz-Regierung bleibt bisher bei ihrer Linie, keine Waffen zur Verfügung zu stellen. Allerdings steht die Regierung nun vor einem etwas skurrilem Dilemma: Estland will Haubitzen liefern, die einst der DDR gehörten - und braucht dafür Deutschlands Zustimmung.
Ukraine-Konflikt: Macron trifft sich mit Putin
Update vom 25. Januar, 13.20 Uhr: Im angespannten Ukraine-Konflikt will Frankreichs Staatschef Emmanuel Macron dem russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin einen Weg der Deeskalation vorschlagen. Ein Gespräch der beiden soll in den kommenden Tagen stattfinden, wie es aus Élyséekreisen hieß, nach Kremlangaben noch bis Ende der Woche. Ein genaues Datum gebe es aber noch nicht. Macron glaube, dass es Raum für Diplomatie und eine Entschärfung des Konflikts gebe. Gleichzeitig wolle er aber klarmachen, dass militärische Handlungen Russlands gegen die Ukraine sehr ernste Konsequenzen nach sich zögen.
Update vom 25. Januar, 13.02 Uhr: Der britische Verteidigungsminister Ben Wallace kommt zu Gesprächen über die Entwicklung im Ukraine-Konflikt nach Berlin. Das am Mittwoch geplante Treffen mit der neuen Bundesverteidigungsministerin Christine Lambrecht (SPD) sei der erste Antrittsbesuch in dem Ressort seit der Regierungsbildung, teilte das Verteidigungsministerium am Dienstag mit.
Ukraine-Konflikt: Putin provoziert - Soldaten trainieren Invasion in Ukraine
Update vom 25. Januar, 12.20 Uhr: Russland demonstriert im Ukraine-Konflikt erneut militärische Stärke: Mehr als 1000 russische Panzersoldaten haben Übungen abgehalten. Sie dienten der Überprüfung der Gefechtsbereitschaft, teilte das Verteidigungsministerium in Moskau mit. 100 Einheiten von Waffen-, Kampf- und Spezialtechnik seien dabei im Moskauer Gebiet eingesetzt worden. Andere Soldaten des Wehrbezirks West, der an die Ukraine grenzt, trainierten, wie bei einem Befehl Fahrzeuge und Technik schnellstmöglich startklar gemacht werden, um in ein Einsatzgebiet auszurücken. Auch auf der von Russland einverleibten Halbinsel Krim im Schwarzen Meer hätten Panzer mehrere Schießübungen auch in unwegsamem Gelände absolviert, hieß es weiter.
Update vom 25. Januar, 11.17 Uhr: Das verstärkte Handeln der USA im Ukraine-Konflikt schürt offenbar Sorge in Russlands politischer Führungsriege. Russland wirft den USA jetzt vor, durch das Versetzen tausender US-Soldaten in erhöhte Alarmbereitschaft die Spannungen im Ukraine-Konflikt anzuheizen. „Die USA sorgen für eine Eskalation der Spannungen“, sagte Kreml-Sprecher Dmitri Peskow. „Wir beobachten diese US-Aktivitäten mit großer Besorgnis.“ Der Kreml-Sprecher bestätigte, dass Russlands Präsident Wladimir Putin wegen der Spannungen in den kommenden Tagen mit seinem französischen Kollegen Emmanuel Macron telefonieren werde.
Ukraine-Konflikt: USA legen knallharten Plan gegen Putin vor - Scholz bei „Geheimbesuch“ gebrieft?
Erstmeldung vom 25. Januar, 9.50 Uhr: Moskau/Washington, D.C. - Die westlichen Staaten versuchen weiterhin, Russlands Präsident Wladimir Putin* von einem Militärschlag gegen die Ukraine abzubringen. Die USA haben jetzt nach Bild-Informationen einen Plan vorgelegt, der bei einem Einmarsch in die Ukraine mehrere harte Strafen gegen Russland vorsieht. Das Ziel: Russlands Rolle in der Weltwirtschaft soll katastrophal geschwächt werden, falls es einen Krieg gegen den kleineren Nachbarn beginnt.
According to the report, the United States and the West want to block raw material supplies from Russia and thus checkmate the country as the world's largest exporter of energy.
More than 500 billion dollars are said to slip through the fingers of the Kremlin.
Domestically, this could have serious consequences, since sooner or later Putin would run out of money for social benefits for the Russian population.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is sending a strong warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(Montage) © Alex Brandon/Mikhail Metzel/dpa
Ukraine conflict: US plans sanctions for Putin's Russia
Außerdem planen die USA laut Bild, russische Handelsrouten, inklusive Waffenlieferungen, weltweit zu blockieren und russische Diplomaten aus westlichen Botschaften auszuweisen. Dadurch solle auch der russische Geheimienst geschwächt werden.
Entworfen habe den Angriffs-Plan gegen Putin CIA-Direktor William Burns. Dieser war laut Zeit vor zwei Wochen in Deutschland auf „Geheimbesuch“, um mit Kanzler Olaf Scholz über Sanktionen gegen Russland im Ukraine-Konflikt zu beraten. Dabei sei beschlossen worden, dass ein Einmarsch in die Ukraine für Putin „schmerzhaft“ enden müsse. Von Deutschland habe der CIA-Chef konkret verlangt, die umstrittene Gaspipeline Nord Stream 2 komplett zu beerdigen, falls Russland die Ukraine angreife. Scholz war bei dieser Frage in der Vergangenheit zögerlich*, hatte aber zuletzt in Sachen Nord Stream 2 mehr Druck auf Putin gemacht.
Die US-Regierung hatte kurz zuvor bekannt gegeben, dass sie als Reaktion auf die eskalierende Ukraine-Krise rund 8500 Soldaten in erhöhte Bereitschaft versetzt habe. Am Mittwoch (26. Januar) sollte neue Gespräche zwischen Ukraine und Russland geben. Bei dem Treffen in Paris sollen auch Vertreter aus Deutschland und Frankreich am Verhandlungstisch sitzen.
Ukraine-Konflikt mit Russland: Der Hintergrund
Pro-Russian separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian army in eastern Ukraine since 2014.
Kiev and the West accuse Moscow of providing military support to the separatists, which the Kremlin denies.
More than 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
In the past few weeks, Russia has massed tens of thousands of soldiers on the Ukrainian border.
The West therefore fears a possible Russian invasion of the neighboring country.
(
smu/dpa
) *
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