Putin's "lies": NATO chief Stoltenberg calls for end of war
Created: 05/09/2022, 09:43
By: Daniel Dillman
After more than two months of war in Ukraine, peace seems far away - diplomatic efforts are ongoing.
Diplomatic Efforts
:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, meets again with G7 countries.
"Bloody new version of Nazism":
Zelenskyj warns the West
75 days of war:
The Ukraine conflict continues unabated.
Support for Kiev:
You can read all developments in diplomatic efforts in the Ukraine war and help for Ukraine in our news ticker.
+++ 09.30 a.m .:
NATO asked Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on “Victory Day” over Hitler’s Germany to stop hostilities in Ukraine immediately.
"I am calling on President Putin once again on May 9 to end the war immediately, withdraw his troops from Ukraine and start peace negotiations," Stoltenberg told the daily Welt.
"We stand firmly by Ukraine's side and will continue to help the country assert its right to self-defense." He expects "that on May 9 of this year, Putin will again spread lies about NATO and the West as a whole," said Stoltenberg.
During the military parade in Moscow on May 9, Putin also addressed his compatriots with a speech.
Combat operations in Ukraine continue unabated.
© Max Pshybyshevsky/AP/dpa
+++ Update from Monday, May 9th, 7.30 a.m .:
Shortly before the celebrations to mark the end of the Second World War in Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj accused his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin of forgetting history.
"Russia has forgotten everything that was important to the victors of World War II," he said in a video message on Sunday evening.
Decades after World War II, "evil is back, in a different uniform, but with the same goal."
On May 9th, Russia celebrates the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany.
On Saturday, the military in Moscow held the dress rehearsal for the 77th anniversary military parade.
Thousands of soldiers will march across Red Square on Monday accompanied by an air show, followed by tanks, armored vehicles and rocket launchers.
War in Ukraine: "Bloody new edition of Nazism" - Zelenskyj warns the West
+++ 10.30 a.m .:
In an emotional video speech from the badly damaged Kiev suburb of Borodjanka, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj drew parallels between the German attack in World War II and the current Russian invasion.
"In Ukraine, they organized a bloody rerun of Nazism," Zelenskyy said of the Russian attack on Ukraine in a black-and-white video in front of the rubble of a residential building.
“A fanatical imitation of the regime, its ideas, actions, words and symbols.
A zany, faithfully detailed rendition of his bestialities and alibis that supposedly give this villain a sacred purpose.”
He accused the Russian leadership of having deleted "never" from the anti-war slogan "never again" with its attack on February 24 and replaced it with the slogan "we can repeat that".
Since the invasion began, the Russians had repeated many of the Nazi atrocities, albeit under different slogans, he said.
On the commemoration of the end of World War II, Zelenskyy recalled the contribution of the Ukrainian people to the victory of the anti-Hitler coalition.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, speaks on May 8 about the Russian war of aggression.
© Ukraine Presidency/dpa
Diplomacy in the Ukraine war: Bundestag President Bas arrived in Kyiv
+++ 9.10 a.m .:
Bundestag President Bärbel Bas arrived in Kiev on Sunday, where she wants to take part in the commemorative events at the end of the Second World War in Europe 77 years ago.
The SPD politician is the second highest representative of the Federal Republic after the Federal President and thus the most important German politician to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression.
She follows an invitation from the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk.
Scholz and Zelenskyj discuss the Ukraine war with the G7
Update from Sunday, May 8th, 7 a.m.:
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will advise on Sunday via video conference (5 p.m.) with the other heads of state and government of the G7.
It deals with current issues and in particular with the war in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj will also take part and report on the situation in his country.
This is the third exchange of heads of state and government of the seven major industrial nations since Germany took over the G7 presidency at the turn of the year.
Ukraine war: will Olaf Scholz travel to Kyiv on Monday?
Zelenskyj warns the West
+++ 1 p.m.:
President
Volodymyr Zelensyi invited Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Kyiv on May 9th.
Scholz could take a "very strong political step" and come to the Ukrainian capital on May 9, the president said at an event hosted by the London think tank Chatham House.
In response to the invitation, a spokesman for the Federal Government referred to the Chancellor's appointments that were already known.
This includes the inaugural visit by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday (9 May).
"The day before, the Federal Chancellor, his G7 colleagues and the Ukrainian President will discuss the situation in Ukraine in a video link on the historic anniversary of the end of the World War," said the spokesman.
For weeks there was disagreement between Kyiv and Berlin because a visit from Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was not desired.
Scholz had previously described the unloading as an obstacle to his own trip.
On Thursday (May 5), Steinmeier and Selenskyj cleared up the irritations in a phone call.
Scholz then announced that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock would travel to Kyiv.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy fleece jacket fetches $110,000 at auction
+++ 9.50 a.m .:
A fundraising gala to support Ukraine took place in London.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson also took part in the “Brave Ukraine” campaign.
During the gala, a fleece jacket belonging to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was auctioned for $110,000.
In his speech, Johnson called Zelenskyy "one of the most incredible leaders of modern times".
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz with President Volodymyr Zelenskyj during his last visit to Kyiv shortly before the outbreak of war.
© Sergei Supinsky/afp
Volodymyr Zelenskyy sets conditions for peace talks with Russia
First report from Saturday, May 7th:
Kiev - The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has again commented on possible peace negotiations with Russia in the Ukraine war.
Should these resume, Russian President Vladimir Putin would first have to meet a number of conditions, Zelensky said.
According to Zelenskyy, the Russian troops would have to withdraw completely to the positions they held more than two months ago before the start of hostilities in the Ukraine war.
That is the “minimum”, emphasized Zelenskyj.
According to the US news portal Newsweek, the Ukrainian president said on Friday that the country was not ready to cede territory to Russia.
Ukraine has a "bright future" ahead of it, and the "atrocities committed by the Russian troops" will not change that.
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Selenskyj does not want to become president of the "mini-Ukraine".
Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not want to give up hope of an early peace with Russia or at least a temporary ceasefire.
For this, however, the "integrity of the borders" of Ukraine must be restored.
Giving up areas, for example in the hard-fought east of the country, to Russia is not an option.
"I was elected by the people of Ukraine as President of Ukraine, not as President of a mini-Ukraine or anything like that," Zelenskyy said.
But the Ukrainian President also stressed that the recently closed diplomatic channels between Russia and Ukraine should be reopened.
But even for this, the "security of the situation before February 23" must be restored.
On February 24, Russian troops invaded Ukraine.
It is also important that Russia no longer obstructs the evacuation of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.
Zelenskyy warns west of Russia: "They will come and get you"
For the West, consisting primarily of the EU and the USA, Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a clear warning ready: "If Ukraine falls, God forbid, then [Russian troops] will also come to you.
Maybe in a few years or a generation.
But they will come and get you." (dil)