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Germany and the Ukraine war: Traffic light politicians expect large-scale cyber attacks

2022-05-22T07:23:10.942Z


Germany and the Ukraine war: Traffic light politicians expect large-scale cyber attacks Created: 05/22/2022Updated: 05/22/2022 09:04 By: Bettina Menzel, Katharina Haase, Stephanie Munk SPD General Secretary Kühnert defends Chancellor Scholz's communication in the Ukraine war. Traffic light politicians warn of major cyber attacks in Germany. News ticker. Germany's role in the Ukraine conflict :


Germany and the Ukraine war: Traffic light politicians expect large-scale cyber attacks

Created: 05/22/2022Updated: 05/22/2022 09:04

By: Bettina Menzel, Katharina Haase, Stephanie Munk

SPD General Secretary Kühnert defends Chancellor Scholz's communication in the Ukraine war.

Traffic light politicians warn of major cyber attacks in Germany.

News ticker.

  • Germany's role in the Ukraine conflict

    : SPD General Secretary Kühnert defends Chancellor Scholz's communication

  • Saxony's Prime Minister asks for Habeck talks:

    clear condition for oil embargo

  • Ammunition for Cheetah tanks first had to be

    found : Strack-Zimmermann criticizes the federal government's pace of arms deliveries.

  • This 

    news ticker has ended

    .

    You can read all the latest news about Germany's reactions to the Ukraine war in the new news ticker.

Update from May 22, 7:24 a.m

.: The long-standing German ambassador to Russia, Rüdiger von Fritsch, accuses Moscow of using the global supply crisis caused by the Ukraine war and the resulting threat of refugee movements as a means of warfare.

"Vladimir Putin is specifically trying to create hunger crises in the Middle East and North Africa," said von Fritsch in the Berlin

Tagesspiegel

about the Russian head of state.

That is why Russia is preventing Ukraine from exporting grain and even bombing grain silos.

"Putin's calculus is that after grain supplies collapse, starving people will flee these regions and try to get to Europe - like the millions of Syrians who fled the horrors of war did then," said von Fritsch, who informed Putin in met in person several times in the past.

"With new streams of refugees, he wants to destabilize Europe and build up political pressure so that Western countries give up their tough stance against Russia."

This is "a new form of hybrid warfare," criticized the diplomat, who is about to publish the book "Turning Points: Putin's War and the Consequences."

Ex-German ambassador to Ukraine war: "Putin overturned the chessboard"

Von Fritsch does not believe in a quick end to the war.

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Putin "turned over the chessboard" and "abruptly ended the successful attempt to jointly create security in Europe".

Defeat in Ukraine is out of the question for Putin, as he is now fighting for his own power in Russia, said the ex-ambassador.

Therefore, there is a high probability "that he will try to continue and escalate this war."

According to von Fritsch, he does not believe that the Russian head of state could also use nuclear weapons: “Vladimir Putin is neither crazy nor irrational.

It obeys a different logic.” The statements of the Russian leadership on the deliveries of heavy weapons to Ukraine by Western countries made it clear “that up to now they have very carefully avoided getting into a military confrontation with NATO”.

also read

But still a breakthrough when Finland and Sweden join NATO?

Erdogan is on the phone with his counterparts

"Like 1945": Putin is confident of victory - but the West puts the next damper on Russia

Germany and the Ukraine war: Traffic light politicians expect large-scale cyber attacks

Update from May 21, 1:30 p.m .:

Security politicians from the traffic light coalition have warned of an increase in Russian cyber attacks on German companies.

"The IT security situation in Germany must continue to be viewed as extremely tense," said the chairman of the secret service body in the Bundestag, Konstantin von Notz (Greens), the

Handelsblatt

.

After several providers from the area of ​​strategic infrastructure had already been attacked in the past few weeks, "we are currently observing an expansion of attacks to other areas," he said.

The Greens parliamentary group leader spoke of "numerous" companies that were increasingly becoming the focus of the attackers.

German security authorities, constitutional bodies such as the Bundestag and scientific institutions are also affected.

The parliamentary director of the FDP parliamentary group, Stephan Thomae, sees cyber attacks "very clearly" as part of the warfare of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The more Putin comes under pressure, be it from Western sanctions or the lack of success of his troops in Ukraine, the more we have to expect large-scale attacks on Germany," he told the

Handelsblatt.

Germany in the Ukraine war: self-criticism from Wissler - left leader against NATO expansion

Update from May 21, 12:53 p.m .:

Left leader Janine Wissler has expressed self-criticism about her party’s handling of wars waged by Russia in the past.

The Left Party has rightly criticized all wars in the USA in recent years, Wissler told the newspapers of the

editorial network Germany

.

But her party's criticism of wars waged by Russia, such as in Syria or Chechnya, was "too muted and often barely audible," she added.

With regard to Finland and Sweden's plans to join NATO, Wissler said that Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine had increased support for NATO.

"That's why NATO expansion is still not a good step," she said.

In the past few weeks, there had been quarrels in the party about, among other things, Ukraine policy.

Allegations of sexism in the party, which the former co-chair Susanne Hennig-Wellsow used to justify her resignation, also caused problems.

Germany and the Ukraine war: ex-NATO chief criticizes Scholz's reluctance

Update from May 21, 9:35 a.m .:

Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has criticized Germany’s cautious course in the face of the Ukraine war.

The federal government is "too hesitant to deliver heavy weapons and impose sanctions," Rasmussen told the

Handelsblatt

.

“Of course, Germany is highly dependent on Russian gas imports, but I think a clear stance from the federal government would change the whole dynamic in Ukraine.

We need German leadership.”

Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has criticized the German government's cautious course in the face of the Ukraine war.

© Steffen Trumpf/dpa

The Dane, who was Prime Minister of his country from 2001 to 2009 and Secretary General of the transatlantic military alliance from 2009 to 2014, called on Europeans to stop importing oil and gas from Russia immediately.

“Certainly an energy embargo will have a price.

But compared to the cost of a protracted war, that price would be small,” argued Rasmussen.

The greatest risk is a war of attrition.

“The Russians are experts at playing with unresolved conflicts.

We see this in Georgia, in Moldova and in Ukraine's Donbass region, which they invaded back in 2014.

We should do what is necessary to end this conflict quickly.” The most effective means is to stop the financing of Putin's war machine - and that is exactly why a halt to all oil and gas imports is needed.

Harvesting criticism for their attitude in the Ukraine war: The federal government with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (center), Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (left) and Finance Minister Christian Lindner.

© Kay Nietfeld / dpa

Germany and Ukraine war: Kühnert defends communication from Scholz - and makes bizarre Heino comparison

Update from May 21, 8.40 a.m .:

SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert has admitted controversy within the traffic light coalition, but also rejected the accusation of hesitant communication by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).

"I'm not going to tell you the story that everything always runs great at traffic lights," said Kühnert of the Rheinische Post.

"Of course it jerks, it's quite normal."

SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert (left) and Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Kühnert emphasized the importance of mutual fairness between the coalition partners.

"The promise of this government is that everyone should be able to find common ground and that every party should be able to achieve success," he said.

Regarding the criticism of the chancellor because of his communication style, the SPD general secretary said that Scholz was "a brand with his Hanseatic sobriety".

Every politician has their own peculiarities.

"I can't take Heino's sunglasses away and Udo Lindenberg's hat," added Kühnert.

"If Olaf Scholz started talking like Robert Habeck, everyone would think it was carnival.

Everyone has their own style.”

The SPD politician was convinced that Scholz's deliberative style was the right one to convey serious politics in serious times.

"In any case, the balance sheet as to whether the Chancellor has guided us well through the Ukraine crisis is not drawn in the middle, but in retrospect," said Kühnert.

"It's the results that count."

Update from May 20, 8:35 p.m .:

Former German international Marvin Compper explains his decision to remain the coach of Lokomotiv Moscow.

His predecessor resigned because of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Saxony's Prime Minister asks for an urgent Habeck talk and sets clear conditions for an oil embargo

Update from May 20, 6:05 p.m .:

The Prime Minister of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, continues to question the planned oil embargo against Russia.

"There can only be an oil embargo if it is guaranteed that 100 percent of the lost quantities will be replaced by other sources and at reasonable, competitive prices," said the CDU politician.

The East German prime ministers had urgently requested a meeting with Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) for the next few days.

The oil embargo is being discussed at EU level but has not yet been decided.

Eastern Germany would be particularly affected because the two large refineries in Leuna and Schwedt have been processing Russian oil from the Druzhba pipeline.

"The concerns are great, especially in the Schwedt region," said Kretschmer, who had previously discussed the energy supply with politicians and experts.

“It is assumed that if Russian oil supplies are stopped, only 65 percent can be replaced by oil from other regions.

That also has dramatic effects.”

Since the embargo is not yet in effect, there is still time to clarify the terms, Kretschmer added.

"We can still agree on transitional periods, we can also agree on compensation payments, you can perhaps also agree on exceptions with each other." It is clear: "There can be no particular disadvantages for the new countries."

Economics and Climate Minister Robert Habeck (Greens, right) in conversation with Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (archive image) © Political-Moments/Imago

Ukraine-News: Germany and Qatar agree on energy partnership

Update from May 20, 5:25 p.m .:

In the struggle for more independence from Russian gas, the federal government has concluded an energy partnership with Qatar.

Qatar's Energy Minister, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, and Economics Minister Robert Habeck signed a declaration of intent for deeper cooperation during a state visit, as announced by the Federal Ministry of Economics.

The energy partnership will help Germany to diversify its gas supply by importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar and at the same time give a boost to cooperation on "green hydrogen".

Update from May 20, 4:24 p.m .:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz received the Emir of Qatar and spoke to him about the future gas supply.

Both Scholz and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani reaffirmed the Qatari-German energy partnership.

A report by the

Handelsblatt

had already made the rounds, according to which Germany could be supplied with liquefied natural gas (LNG) as early as 2024.

"We want our US liquid gas plant Golden Pass in Texas, in which Qatar Energy holds 70 percent, to be ready by 2024 so that we can deliver to Germany," said Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the business magazine .

This could go faster than previously planned.

Ukraine war: Lafontaine calls German government “vassal of the USA”

Update from May 20, 3:56 p.m .:

The former head of the SPD and the left sharply reprimanded the federal government for its foreign policy towards Russia and blamed NATO and the USA for the Ukraine war.

"Moscow has been saying for 20 years that Ukraine must not be admitted to NATO.

This means that no US missiles can be deployed on the Ukrainian-Russian border.

These security interests have been consistently ignored.

That is one of the decisive reasons for the outbreak of the Ukraine war," said Lafontaine in an interview with the daily newspaper

Junge Welt

.

The federal government and last but not least Chancellor Olaf Scholz had themselves “drawn attention to the risk of a war spreading to Europe and even a nuclear attack.” However, the traffic light coalition had not been able to “act in accordance with their own interests”, criticized lafontaine

The federal government under Scholz acts as a "faithful vassal of the USA", the 78-year-old described the Greens in the

young world

as an "extended arm of the USA" in the German Bundestag.

"The Greens, which once had a strong pacifist wing, have become the biggest warmongers in Germany since the Yugoslav war," Lafontaine said.

When it comes to wars, they would “support any US decision”.

Ukraine is now getting tanks from Germany to defend itself against Russia

Update from May 20, 3:41 p.m .:

Ukraine will get tanks from Germany in the foreseeable future: The country will receive the first 15 anti-aircraft gun tanks Gepard from stocks of German industry in July.

This is the result of a conversation between Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) and her Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Resnikov on Friday, as the dpa reports.

Update from May 20, 2:55 p.m .:

According to the federal government, the planned tank ring exchange with the Czech Republic and Ukraine could take some time.

The delivery of the German Leopard tanks to the Czech Republic "should begin this year," according to a letter from the Federal Ministry of Defense to the leaders of the parliamentary groups in the Bundestag Defense Committee, which was available to the AFP news agency.

The planned transaction was specified in the letter.

Germany will deliver 14 Leopard 2 A4 main battle tanks and a Leopard 2-based recovery vehicle to the Czech Republic - in exchange for the Czechs supplying a total of 20 Soviet T-72 main battle tanks to Ukraine.

The committee suspected that the old German tanks would have to be refurbished before delivery - and that this would delay delivery.

That may be the reason why Chancellor Scholz hesitates about arms deliveries and is criticized for it.

Update from May 20, 2:12 p.m .:

Anton Hofreiter from the Greens sees no contradiction between his party’s pacifism and the demands for arms deliveries from Germany to Ukraine.

"We in the Greens agree that, given the war of aggression that was unfortunately launched by Russia, we see no other option than to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.

And that means we have to supply them with weapons - including heavy weapons," says Hofreiter in the "Wochentester" podcast from

Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger

and

RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland

(RND).

“We help the weak against the strong.

The attacked against the attacker.

We are helping democracy against dictatorship,” said the native of Munich.

The party left, who got nothing when it came to the allocation of cabinet posts, does not want his criticism of the federal government to be understood as revenge.

"From what I've observed, Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck are equally of the opinion that we should support Ukraine.

I don't see what a weird form of revenge it is to step on the Chancellor's toes by lovingly trying to urge him to do more.

What revenge should this be on the realos?”

Former Chancellor Schröder is giving up his position as chairman of the supervisory board at Rosneft

Update from May 20, 1:32 p.m .:

The pressure was obviously too great.

Former Chancellor Schröder is giving up his position as head of the supervisory board at the Russian oil company Rosneft.

It was impossible for Schröder to extend his mandate, the company said in a statement.

Heavy weapons for Ukraine: Strack-Zimmermann criticizes the German government's hesitation

Update from May 20, 10:10 a.m .:

The chairwoman of the Bundestag Defense Committee criticizes the slow pace of the federal government in delivering heavy weapons to Ukraine.

"You wait too long - everything could have been delivered already," said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann in ZDF's "Morgenmagazin".

According to the FDP politician, the self-propelled howitzers and Gepard tanks promised by Germany to Ukraine are only just being prepared for combat use.

Ammunition had to be found for the cheetah.

Therefore, no large device has yet been delivered to the Ukraine.

The war has now lasted almost 90 days, said Strack-Zimmermann.

If the preparations had already started after four weeks, "we could have gotten everything started".

Melnyk on arms delivery to Ukraine: "We have the impression that the Chancellor does not want to deliver"

Update from May 20, 6:54 a.m .:

The Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, has again accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) of being hesitant to deliver heavy weapons.

"We have the impression that the Chancellor does not want to deliver," Melnyk told the editorial network Germany (RND, Friday).

So far, neither Cheetah tanks, nor Leopard 1 or Marder have been delivered, he criticized.

The announced exchange of rings with T-72 tanks for the Ukraine from Slovenia has also not worked out so far.

The Ambassador of Ukraine Andriy Melnyk has called for his country to join NATO soon.

According to him, this would reduce the risk of Russia using nuclear weapons.

(Archive image) © Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Berlin has meanwhile announced that it will make 15 Leopard 2 tanks available to the Czech Republic in a so-called ring swap in order to offset deliveries of heavy weapons from the NATO partner to Ukraine.

"Delivery is scheduled to begin this year and will also include a 30-day supply of 120 mm ammunition," the Ministry of Defense told the responsible officials in the Bundestag.

The letter was presented to the German Press Agency on Friday.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has meanwhile proposed linking future reconstruction aid for Ukraine to reforms in view of the country's desire to join the EU.

"We will have to help finance the reconstruction of Ukraine anyway," said von der Leyen on Thursday on the ZDF program "maybrit illner".

Then, in her opinion, it makes sense to say: "Yes to investments, but right away with the necessary reforms, for example against corruption or for example for establishing the rule of law."

Update from May 19, 8:52 p.m .: For

the time being, Germany and the Netherlands do not want to deliver more than the twelve 2000 self-propelled howitzers already promised to Ukraine.

During Chancellor Scholz's inaugural visit to The Hague on Thursday, the two heads of government did not say when the first howitzers with a range of 40 kilometers could be delivered.

The German Chancellor pointed out that the heavy artillery pieces "cannot be easily made available".

Alongside the Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, the self-propelled howitzers are the first heavy weapons that Germany intends to deliver to the Ukrainian war zone.

The Bundeswehr is also training Ukrainian soldiers to operate the modern guns.

Scholz rejects Ukraine's rapid EU accession: "Not a matter of a few months or a few years"

First report:

Berlin - In his government statement at the special EU summit at the end of May, Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected Ukraine's accession to the EU in an urgent procedure.

Scholz referred to French President Emmanuel Macron.

He had previously pointed out that the entry procedure into the European Union was "not a matter of a few months or a few years".

Out of fairness towards other accession candidates, there should be "no shortcuts" to the EU, Scholz said on Thursday morning (May 19).

The answer from Kyiv came promptly.

Just minutes after Scholz's speech ended, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that Ukraine did not need a "replacement for EU candidate status," which shows "second-class treatment of Ukraine" and "the Feelings of Ukrainians hurt”.

The "strategic ambiguity" practiced by some EU capitals in recent years in relation to Ukraine's European perspective has failed and must be ended, said Kuleba with a view to his country's EU accession.

"That only gave Putin courage," the Ukrainian foreign minister accused.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his government statement on Thursday (May 19) in the Bundestag in Berlin.

© IMAGO / Political Moments

Ukraine conflict and arms deliveries: Chairwoman of the Defense Committee criticizes CDU leader Merz as "uninformed"

Following Olaf Scholz's government statement on Thursday morning, CDU leader Friedrich Merz was critical.

The Union faction leader accused the chancellor of "double play" in the Ukraine war because he promised military support from Germany for Ukraine, but actually prevented deliveries of heavy weapons.

"The truth is that almost nothing has been delivered for weeks," says Merz.

The announced ring exchange of weapons has also not taken place so far.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann heads the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag.

On May 13, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended the meeting of the committee (archive photo).

© Leon Kuegeler/photothek.de/Imago

The chairwoman of the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag, Marie Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), sharply criticized Merz for his statements.

"I'm surprised that Friedrich Merz said that," said the FDP politician to the TV station Welt.

"Friedrich Merz should have sat down with his defense politicians before his speech.

Then he would know that the whole thing works.

That we are training Ukrainian soldiers and that these heavy weapons are being prepared.” The CDU politician was “uninformed”, Strack-Zimmermann continued.

"And I recommend a parliamentary group leader to ask his specialist politicians before he says something like that."

(bm with AFP / dpa)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-05-22

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