Invasion in dead end?

Selenskyj wants Russia to "feel the price" - EU approves further aid worth millions

Created: 05/18/2022 05:03

By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi

According to Zelensky, Russia has reached a “dead end” in the war against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian head of state wants tougher sanctions again.

News ticker.

• Ukraine conflict: Ukraine continues to seek diplomatic support.

• Zelenskyj

  wants

  stricter sanctions

  and an

  oil embargo

  : The Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyj is calling for stricter sanctions and an oil embargo against Russia.

• EU foreign ministers meeting

  : EU foreign ministers want to discuss the war of aggression in Ukraine in Brussels.

• This news ticker has ended.

  All information from now on in the current 

  news ticker on Russia-Ukraine negotiations and international efforts

  .

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Update from May 17, 6:40 a.m.:

The defense ministers of the European Union will deal with the Ukraine war on Tuesday (from 10:15 a.m.).

At the Brussels meeting, the representatives of the EU countries want to exchange views via video conference with the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Ukraine is hoping for more heavy weapons from Germany, among others.

The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also wants to inform the defense ministers about the situation in West African Mali.

It is also about the implementation of the new security strategy of the EU.

Borrell proposes, among other things, a rapid reaction force with up to 5,000 forces.

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) is expected in Brussels for the federal government.

Ukraine-Russia negotiations: EU approves further aid worth millions

Update from May 16, 7:47 p.m

.: The EU foreign ministers approve 500 million euros for the delivery of weapons and equipment to the armed forces of Ukraine in the international efforts in the Ukraine war.

This was announced by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday evening after a meeting with ministers in Brussels.

This increases the EU funds available for military aid to Ukraine to two billion euros.

He had already announced the funds last Friday.

Among other things, it still has to be approved in the Bundestag.

The funding for the military aid comes from the so-called European Peace Facility - a new EU financing instrument.

It can also be used to strengthen the capabilities of armed forces in partner countries.

For the period from 2021 to 2027, the peace facility is endowed with around five billion euros.

According to Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD), Germany finances around a quarter of the EU support.

Ukraine-Russia negotiations: Russia wants to bring Azovstal fighters to separatist areas - no confirmation from Ukraine

Update from May 16, 5:13 p.m

.: There seems to have been a breakthrough in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine about the remaining Ukrainian fighters in the Azovstal steel plant (Mariupol): According to the Kremlin, the fighters are being evacuated from Mariupol.

But Russia apparently wants to bring the fighters into the separatist area.

There is no official confirmation from Ukraine yet.

Ukraine negotiations: Ukrainian foreign minister accuses EU of financing Russia's war machine with oil

Update from May 16, 4:45 p.m

.: The EU states are financing Putin’s war machine with their oil purchases – Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has now confirmed this opinion in Brussels.

"Basically, the European Union pays twice," he added, according to dpa, on the sidelines of consultations with EU colleagues.

So the EU first pays Russia and then pays again for supporting Ukraine and the destruction caused by Russian weapons.

"It's not supposed to be like this," Kuleba said.

Sanctions against Russian gas and oil are not only for the good of Ukraine, but also for the good of the EU.

The EU plans for an oil embargo against Russia have been around since the beginning of the month, but have not yet been decided, mainly because of reservations from Hungary

.

Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (archive image) © Chris Emil Janssen/Imago Images

Ukraine negotiations: Hungary calls for EU aid worth billions for yes to oil embargo

Update from May 16, 4:15 p.m

.: Hungary has been blocking the EU’s planned oil embargo against Russia for more than a week.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is hoping for an early agreement on the issue.

Hungary has now imposed conditions under Prime Minister Viktor Orban: it is demanding billions in EU aid.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto spoke of investments of 15 to 18 billion euros in a Facebook video message this Monday (May 16).

It is "legitimate" that Hungary is expecting a proposal from the EU Commission, said Szijjarto.

So far, the country has obtained its oil from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline.

In order to become independent, Budapest is demanding help to build a new pipeline.

Ukraine negotiations: Peskov warns of "territorial disputes"

Update from May 16, 1:20 p.m .:

The Kremlin warned of a clash with the defense alliance if Ukraine joins NATO.

Should Ukraine join NATO, it would mean that Russia finds itself in a "territorial dispute" with a NATO member state, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

However, such a step is currently not up for debate.

It is different in the case of Finland and Sweden – the Kremlin also threatened these countries on Monday.

Ukraine negotiations: Borrell dampens hope - no quick breakthrough in oil embargo expected

Update from May 16, 11:20 a.m .:

The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has warned of hopes for a quick breakthrough in the negotiations on an oil embargo against Russia.

"We are doing our best to lift the blockade," the Spaniard said at a foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, referring to Hungary's opposition to the planned import ban on Russian oil.

Since there are "rather fixed positions", he cannot guarantee that this will succeed.

There has been a dispute for more than a week about the plans presented by the EU Commission for an oil embargo against Russia.

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis raised serious allegations against the government in Hungary.

"The whole Union is being held hostage by one Member State," he said.

The negotiations between the EU countries about an oil embargo were supposed to be completed more than a week ago.

The EU Commission's original proposal was to end imports of Russian crude oil in six months and oil products in eight months because of the Ukraine war.

Hungary and Slovakia should be given 20 months.

So far, offers of improvement have not been able to persuade Hungary to give up the blockade.

Ukraine negotiations: Baerbock wants joint EU step on oil embargo

Update from May 16, 11:15 a.m .:

Upon her arrival at the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock emphasizes that she is very pleased that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba is also a guest.

Above all, Ukraine must be supported militarily, said Baerbock.

In today's meeting, the sixth package of sanctions against Russia will be discussed and clarifying circumstances will be discussed.

Baerbock referred to a possible oil embargo.

It is important "that all countries go the way of the oil exit together".

She was "very confident" that a result would be reached in the next few days.

Referring to Hungary's resistance to an oil embargo, the Federal Foreign Minister said the oil phase-out was not an easy step.

Different countries face different challenges due to different dependencies, she underlined.

Ukraine negotiations: Zelenskyj considers Russian offensive to be "broke" - EU meeting in Brussels

Munich - The Ukraine war is not quite in line with the idea of ​​​​Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This map shows where the Ukraine war is raging.

So the next setback came in Kharkiv - apparently Ukrainian troops advanced to the Russian border.

The Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyj now sees the Russian invasion as a problem.

The “special operation” in Ukraine, which Moscow called “special operation”, went “broke”.

"The occupiers still do not want to admit that they are in a dead end," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian news agency

.

In addition, Zelenskyj announced that he wanted to keep up the pressure and called for the sanctions to be tightened.

The EU could make progress at this point on Monday

.

At the EU foreign ministers' meeting, the foreign ministers of the EU states want to discuss a new package of sanctions, including a possible oil embargo.

But there is resistance from Hungary.

Ukraine diplomacy: Selenskyj wants tougher sanctions and oil embargo - "must feel the price"

Kiev's diplomatic efforts in the background of the Ukraine crisis continue.

In his now traditional video address, Selenskyj announced "a lot of international activity" for this week, as

reported.

"The keys are weapons and financial support for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.

Financial resources would not only keep the current situation stable, but also help with the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Also, the Ukrainian government is doing everything possible to keep the world's attention on Ukraine, the Ukrainian president was quoted as saying by

.

Information about Ukraine's demands should appear in the news in all relevant countries - "constantly and every day," Zelenskyy underlined.

To this end, he will continue to hold speeches in European parliaments and try to expand the scope of these speeches to Asia and Africa.

In addition, work is being done to strengthen sanctions against Russia.

"Our partners have to make weekly decisions that restrict Russia's connections with the world," Zelenskyy demanded, according to

, adding: "The occupiers must constantly feel the rising price of war for them." A possible oil embargo is part of the efforts now the priority.

Zelenskyy stated that Europe's dependence on Russian gas was coming to an end and that this would not change: "No matter how hard Moscow tries to prevent it."

Volodymyr Zelenskyj sees Russia in a "dead end".

© imago-images

Ukraine diplomacy: EU foreign ministers meeting - Discussions on oil embargo amid Hungarian protests

In connection with expectations of an oil embargo, Ukraine is likely to be eyeing Brussels with trepidation today.

The foreign ministers of the EU states want to discuss the Russian war of aggression there.

There will also be a special guest - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba.

However, the meeting is overshadowed by the dispute within the EU over an import ban on Russian oil.

Because when it comes to the oil embargo, not all countries in the European Union are in the same position.

The plans for this are hanging in the balance because Hungary is unwilling to support them.

The country only wants to agree to an embargo under certain conditions.

Among other things, the Hungarian government is demanding a longer transition period and billions in aid for the construction of a new pipeline to supply the country.

Meanwhile, Germany could go it alone.

In addition, EU countries are expected to approve another 500 million euros in military aid to Ukraine.

The money will be used to buy new weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian military.

The proposal came from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Schleswig-Holstein and is likely to anger Putin, about whom some oligarchs are fueling cancer rumors.