Ukraine war: Esken triggers irritation with NATO sentence - Scholz intervenes publicly

Created: 03/18/2022, 04:52

By: Kathrin Reikowski, Stephanie Munk, Andreas Schmid

Saskia Esken polarized with a statement about a NATO mission in the Ukraine war, Scholz publicly deviates from his SPD leader.

The reactions from Germany in the news ticker.

• Ukraine's President Volodymyr Selenskyj* will speak on Thursday, March 17, about the Ukraine war* in the German Bundestag

  (see first report)

  .

• SPD leader Esken no longer rules out a NATO mission

  (see update from March 15, 9:40 a.m.)

  .

• Chancellor Olaf Scholz* sees it differently.

  He rules out a NATO mission

  (see update from March 15, 10:06 p.m.)

  .

This news ticker has ended.

You can read more about Germany's reactions to the Ukraine war here.

Update from March 16, 12:22 p.m .:

Germany wants to become more independent of Russian oil and gas as a result of the Ukraine war.

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is therefore traveling to Norway today to hold talks on the diversification of German energy imports.

"The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has made it abundantly clear that we must become independent of Russian energy imports," explained Habeck.

The visit is the start of a series of trips abroad with the aim of broadening the German energy supply, the Ministry of Economics explained.

Norway announced on Wednesday that it would keep its gas production at the highest possible level for the time being.

Norway is the EU's second most important gas supplier after Russia.

Between 20 and 25 percent of the natural gas in Europe and the UK comes from Norway, and between 45 and 50 percent comes from Russia.

In Oslo, Habeck met company representatives as well as the Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

Meanwhile, Ukraine-Russia talks continue.

Lavrov saw the negotiations in parts "close to agreement".

Update from March 16, 12:01 p.m .:

According to a survey, three quarters of citizens in Germany fear a military threat to Germany from Russia.

The fear has grown significantly with the outbreak of the Ukraine war*.

According to a long-term survey, the so-called German-Polish Barometer, in 2015 - the year after the Russian occupation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea - 41 percent of those surveyed expressed fear of a military threat to Germany from Russia.

In February of this year, shortly before the current Russian attack on Ukraine, it was already 55 percent.

In March it is now 74 percent.

In Poland, on the other hand, a large majority has long feared a military threat from Moscow.

According to the survey, the proportion of those who express themselves in this way has increased from 76 to 79 percent in the same period since 2015. For the survey, 1,000 representatively selected citizens were interviewed online in both countries.

also read

Proposal for a resolution is available: Corona MPK with a large focus on Ukraine - that's planned

The federal and state governments come together for consultations.

The focus of the MPK: the Ukraine war.

This is shown by looking at a first proposal for a resolution that is available on Merkur.de.

Proposal for a resolution is available: Corona MPK with a large focus on Ukraine - that's planned

Urgent update required for FRITZ!Box: There is a risk of an important function failing

Telekom announces that there will be an update in its network on March 15th.

Users must have updated their FRITZ!Box by then - otherwise it will only work to a limited extent.

Urgent update required for FRITZ!Box: There is a risk of an important function failing

Ukraine war and Germany: Ambassador demands explanation from Olaf Scholz

Update from March 16, 10:25 a.m .:

On Thursday, March 17, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj * speaks in a video address to the members of the Bundestag on the Ukraine war *.

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, calls on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to then make a government statement.

He should explain how Germany intends to continue supporting Ukraine, said Melnyk.

"Exactly three weeks after the start of the war, it would be time for the German head of government to comment on this again and announce very specific aid measures." To put an end to it, ”said the ambassador of the German Press Agency.

Melnyk emphasized that he was concerned with further arms deliveries, economic support and support for war refugees.

A great deal has happened since the Chancellor's first government declaration on war.

"That's why another clear statement would be of great importance not only for us, the Ukrainians, but certainly also for the Germans."

Zelenskyj will be connected via video in the plenary hall of the Bundestag on Thursday at 9 a.m. before the regular session begins.

20 minutes are allotted for this.

Then the debate on compulsory vaccination begins.

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz* also criticized the agenda.

"We find that completely inappropriate," said the CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader on Tuesday, March 15.

Germany Reactions to Ukraine War: Scholz Gains in Popularity

Update from March 16, 9:55 a.m .:

Against the background of the Ukraine war, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is again gaining popularity among the population.

While Scholz lost popularity in the last month, 27 percent of Germans currently rate the Chancellor's work on a scale of 1 to 10 as very satisfactory (8-10).

In February, only 19 percent of Germans said they were very satisfied with Scholz's work.

At the same time, the proportion of those who are dissatisfied (1-3) has fallen from 33 percent to 28 percent, according to a recent survey by the market and opinion research institute Ipsos.

The federal government as a whole can also report significant gains.

One in four respondents (24 percent) now rates their work very positively, compared to 17 percent in February.

The proportion of those who are dissatisfied has fallen from 32 to 27 percent.

Update from March 16, 7 a.m.:

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) has initially rejected tougher sanctions against Russia because of the war of aggression in Ukraine.

“I advocate not constantly talking about further sanctions.

We have to deal with how we can stick to the sanctions that have been decided, because we mustn't retreat an inch," he said at a

event in Berlin.

Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) called the existing sanctions against Russia "unprecedented, far-reaching and comprehensive".

"Russia is threatened with insolvency, internal resistance in Russia is growing," said Buschmann.

Weaknesses would also reveal themselves militarily. The Minister of Justice defended the arms deliveries to Ukraine.

They are a support of legitimate self-defense.

"This will not make us a war party," Buschmann said.

Ukraine war: Olaf Scholz (SPD) continues to rule out NATO intervention

Update from March 15, 10:06 p.m

.: Olaf Scholz further excludes a NATO mission in Ukraine: “With US President Joe Biden, with French President Emmanuel Macron and the other allies, I agree that there is no military conflict between NATO and Russia may give.

Nobody can want that," Scholz told Die

on Tuesday .

Explosive: SPD Chancellor Scholz expresses himself differently than SPD party leader Saskia Esken.

She had announced on Monday evening.

"I believe that we have now reached a situation where we should never say anything because we do not know how development will continue"

.

There was also criticism of Esken's statements from the CSU

.

Olaf Scholz with SPD leader Saskia Esken.

(Archive photo) © Janine Schmitz/Imago

Scholz also commented on Ukrainian airspace requirements.

“We will not set up no-fly zones over Ukraine.

That would mean a direct military confrontation with Russia, with Russian warplanes.” Ukraine has repeatedly called for such zones.

The West is very reticent about this.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had repeatedly made the position of the defense alliance clear in the Ukraine war: "We have to be very careful not to trigger a major conflict in Europe."

NATO intervention in the war by blocking airspace could result in further escalation, said Stoltenberg.

"For these reasons: no no-fly zone." Experts support this view, Zelenskyj in turn argues that Ukraine cannot withstand Russia without an airspace closure. 

Ukraine war: Merz does not believe that the 100 billion rearmament program can be approved

Update from March 15, 6:04 p.m

.: The traffic light coalition is planning an upgrade program for 100 billion euros.

The top of the Union faction considers the plans for this to be insufficient.

"In any case, as we have them now, we cannot approve them," said Union faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) on Tuesday before a meeting of the CDU and CSU MPs in Berlin.

The documents sent to the Union are "basically no more and no less than the suspension of the debt brake for a further 100 billion euros," he added.

One point in particular is important to the Union: More than two percent of gross domestic product must be invested in defense on a permanent basis, as announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) - and not just a one-off amount of 100 billion euros, said Merz.

He also said: "We want to know what the federal government actually wants to procure in the next few years in order to maintain the defense of the alliance and the country".

The group leader emphasized: "I hope that the federal government is ready to talk about these texts again in detail."

Ukraine News: Zelenskyj's speech in the Bundestag causes friction between the Union and the traffic light

Update from March 15, 4:10 p.m .:

Union faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) recognized the trip by the heads of government from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia to Kiev as a courageous step.

The Union sees with the utmost respect what the three politicians are also taking on in terms of personal risk, "to underline the solidarity not only of the three countries, but also of the entire European Union," said Merz on Tuesday before a meeting of the Bundestag by the CDU and CSU in Berlin.

When asked whether he expected Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to take such a step, Merz said that such a trip “could definitely be a role model for others too”.

Germany's reaction to the Ukraine war: Dobrindt demands registration for Ukraine refugees

Update from March 15, 2 p.m.:

CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt has asked the federal government to quickly introduce an obligation to register for people fleeing from Ukraine.

"For a variety of reasons, it is imperative that we come to a registration requirement," he said on Tuesday in Berlin before a meeting of the Union faction in the afternoon.

Like Dobrindt, the parliamentary manager of the Union faction, Thorsten Frei (CDU), also sharply criticized Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) in this context.

Dobrindt warned that if the war in Ukraine does not come to an end quickly, "there will be a flight movement worth millions".

Frei also demanded more control and coordination of the refugee situation from Faeser.

War in Ukraine: SPD leader Esken no longer rules out the use of NATO - and is thus irritating

Update from March 15, 1:25 p.m .:

CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt has criticized statements by SPD leader Saskia Esken about a possible NATO mission in Ukraine as irritating.

"That would ultimately require NATO to enter the war," said Dobrindt in Berlin on Tuesday.

He added: "I rule out NATO's entry into the war on Ukrainian territory." He does not know how Esken came to his assessment.

"A NATO mission would require a defense case.

And it can't take place on Ukrainian territory."

Update from March 15, 12:45 p.m .:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has commented positively on the trip by the heads of government from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia to Kiev.

It is currently about “using all discussion formats and maintaining them,” said the SPD politician on Tuesday in Berlin.

It is "good if attempts are made in various ways to be helpful in this situation".

The world community is pursuing a clear political strategy to help Ukraine, Scholz said.

It is right to keep talking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - but "of course" also to Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a ceasefire.

"We're all active in different ways, and that's a good thing," said Scholz.

War in Ukraine: SPD leader Esken no longer rules out NATO deployment

Update from March 15, 9.40 a.m .:

At “hard but fair” on Monday evening, SPD leader Saskia Esken did not rule out a NATO mission in the Ukraine war.

"I believe that we have now reached a situation where we should never say anything because we don't know how development will continue," said Esken in an interview with moderator Frank Plasberg.

According to the current status, however, that would be “a contribution to escalation”.

With the delivery of weapons to a war zone, the red lines of German foreign policy have already been crossed.

Plasberg listens: "That's not a no" - to NATO soldiers in Ukraine.

"But for now, we still have hope that we have the ability to end this warfare in the state it is in now," adds Esken.

War in Ukraine: SPD leader Esken no longer rules out NATO deployment in “hard but fair” on March 14, 2022 © Screenshot ARD-Mediathek

First report from March 14, 11 p.m.:

Berlin/Ankara – The federal government continues to rely on diplomacy in the escalated Ukraine conflict*.

"Hold on," Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

"There can only be a diplomatic solution." Is that actually realistic in the Ukraine war?

Ukraine war: Scholz calls for an immediate ceasefire - Turkey as a mediator?

During a state visit with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Scholz again called for an immediate ceasefire in the Ukraine war: "Every day, with every bomb, Putin is moving further away from the world community."

If Scholz has his way, Erdogan can contribute to the end of the Ukraine war as an influential crisis diplomat.

There is close cooperation with Turkey as a NATO partner in the conflict.

"We must ensure that results are achieved soon that enable a ceasefire," emphasized Scholz.

Ankara spoke out clearly against Russia's war and also supplied weapons, said the Chancellor.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled to Ankara for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

© Michael Kappeler/dpa

Ukraine war: More arms deliveries by Germany?

However, arms deliveries from the West remain a topic of conflict.

Panzerfausts, anti-aircraft missiles, armored vehicles and more than 20,000 helmets: German armaments aid for Ukraine is ongoing.

But more is expected in Kyiv.

Possible further weapon deliveries will probably also be an issue on Thursday.

Then Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj wants to speak in the German Bundestag.

He will be connected via video.

Meanwhile, the US government wants to provide the Ukrainian armed forces primarily with air defense systems.

That's "the focus right now," national security adviser Jake Sullivan told

on Sunday .

The US did not want to send fighter jets in order to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia.

US President Joe Biden only approved a further 200 million dollars for arms deliveries on Saturday.

Ukraine war: CDU puts pressure on the federal government because of Ukraine refugees

Meanwhile, the number of refugees from Ukraine remains a hot topic.

The CDU calls on the federal government to do more to take in war refugees.

It is imperative that the federal government fulfill its responsibility and organize admission better, said CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja on Monday after a visit to the arrival center at Berlin Central Station.

So far, the Ministry of the Interior has left the work there to committed volunteers who self-sacrificingly carried out the tasks during the initial reception.

Better coordination between the federal, state and local governments is needed, said Czaja.

The Union will make the accommodation and care of the refugees a central topic in the government survey in the Bundestag this week and will also apply for a current hour on this.

Among other things, better protection for the women and children who have fled is important.

All information on the Ukraine conflict can be found in the news ticker on the negotiations and on the military situation.