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Ukraine: Putin and Lukashenko want to discuss union state

2022-05-23T05:10:48.169Z


Ukraine: Putin and Lukashenko want to discuss union state Created: 05/23/2022, 07:01 By: Nail Akkoyun, Tanja Koch, Delia Friess, Sarah Neumeyer Talks between Russia and Ukraine are suspended, Turkey continues to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO: the news ticker. Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Talks between the conflicting parties Russia and Ukraine are on hold for the time being. O


Ukraine: Putin and Lukashenko want to discuss union state

Created: 05/23/2022, 07:01

By: Nail Akkoyun, Tanja Koch, Delia Friess, Sarah Neumeyer

Talks between Russia and Ukraine are suspended, Turkey continues to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO: the news ticker.

  • Negotiations

    in the Ukraine war:

    Talks between the conflicting parties Russia and Ukraine are on hold for the time being.

  • Oil and gas deliveries:

    Moscow continues to insist on payments in rubles.

  • You can find diplomatic news

    in the Ukraine conflict in our news ticker.

+++ 6.42 a.m .:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has praised the good relations with neighboring Poland and wants to remove “the pressure of the past” from relations with all neighbors “who respect us and are not occupiers of our state”.

In his video message on Monday night, he described relations with Poland as a "historic achievement" without "old conflict legacy".

On Sunday, Polish President Andrzej Duda became the first foreign head of state to speak in the Ukrainian parliament since the start of the Russian invasion at the end of February and spoke of the intention to conclude a Polish-Ukrainian friendship agreement.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to meet Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko this Monday in Sochi to talk about cooperation between the two countries and a Union state that is currently being built.

CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) of playing for time in view of the Ukraine war.

Vladimir Putin (r), President of Russia, welcomes Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, for talks.

(Archive image) © Mikhail Klimentyev/dpa

Destruction in Ukraine: President of the World Economic Forum calls for Marshall Plan

+++ 8.30 p.m .:

The President of the World Economic Forum, Børge Brende, has called for a Marshall Plan to rebuild Ukraine.

"Even without a peace agreement, which is not very likely at the moment, we have to start working on reconstruction, at least in the areas that are under Ukrainian control," Brende told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

It's about infrastructure, electricity, schools, roads and bridges.

"We need a Marshall Plan for Ukraine."

With the Marshall Plan, named after the then US Secretary of State George Marshall, the United States had supported reconstruction in Western Europe with billions in the years after the Second World War.

Brende said he wants to push the call for such a plan at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, which begins on Monday (May 23).

"We will also get the CEOs together for this - under the motto 'CEOs for Ukraine.'" The private sector must also play an important role in the reconstruction of the country.

The President of the World Economic Forum, Børge Brende, has called for a Marshall Plan to rebuild Ukraine.

© Salvatore Di Nolfi / dpa

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The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is also said to be connected via video.

The Mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, and his brother Wladimir are also expected.

According to Brende, Russian companies and politicians are excluded from Davos because of the war against Ukraine.

"Russia will be back if they comply with international law again," he announced.

NATO accession of Sweden and Finland: Erdogan exerts pressure in telephone calls

Update from Sunday, May 22, 1:30 p.m .:

Turkey’s blockade of Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession continues: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made demands on both countries for Turkey’s approval of their NATO accession.

Erdogan on Saturday (May 21) called on both countries to end their support for "terrorist" groups.

Erdogan told Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in a phone call, according to Turkey, that his country expects "concrete and serious steps" that show it takes Ankara's fears about the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its Iraqi and Syrian offshoots seriously.

NATO contribution from Sweden and Finland: Erdogan makes demands

Erdogan also called for the end of Swedish restrictions on the Turkish arms industry.

In a phone call with Finland's President Sauli Niinistö, Erdogan also said that it was "incompatible with the spirit of friendship and alliance" to turn a blind eye to "terrorist organizations" that posed a threat to a NATO ally.

Erdogan also phoned NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

According to his office, he said Turkey "will not look favorably on Finland and Sweden's NATO membership" unless they show "solidarity" in the "fight against terrorism."

Stoltenberg then wrote on Twitter: "We agree that the security concerns of all allies must be addressed and talks must continue."

Erdogan on the phone with NATO Secretary General: Turkish President is exerting pressure

Finland and Sweden jointly submitted their membership applications to NATO on Wednesday, under the impression of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

All 30 previous member countries must agree to the accession of a country to NATO.

Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952.

Turkey refers to the PKK and the Kurdish militia YPG in Syria, which are classified as terrorist organizations in Turkey.

However, the USA, a NATO ally, also worked with the latter in Syria.

Since Turkey is taking action against the YPG, Finland and Sweden have restricted their arms exports.

Zelenskyj calls for further sanctions: "We have to keep fighting"

Update from Sunday, May 22, 7:56 a.m .:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj insists on further punitive measures by the West against Russia.

The sixth package of sanctions by the European states must be accelerated, said the head of state in a video message that was published on Sunday night.

He recently spoke about this with Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

Many Western countries have already imposed unprecedented punitive measures against Russia.

"The situation in Donbass is extremely difficult," said Zelenskyy.

The Russian army is trying to attack the cities of Sloviansk and Sievjerodonetsk in the east of the country.

"Ukraine's armed forces are holding back this offensive." Every day that "our defenders" thwart Russia's plans is a concrete contribution on the road to victory.

But Zelenskyjs also said: "We have to keep fighting."

Deadlock in Ukraine negotiations: according to Zelenskyj, end of war "only possible through diplomacy".

+++ 16:38:

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the war in Ukraine can only be ended through diplomacy.

The war will be "bloody, there will be fierce fighting, but it will only end definitively through diplomacy," the head of state told Ukrainian television channel ICTV on Saturday (May 21).

"There are things that we can only achieve at the negotiating table," said Zelenskyy.

The results of the negotiations must be "just" for Ukraine.

According to the President of Ukraine, there should be a document on security guarantees for Ukraine, signed "by the friends and partners of Ukraine, without Russia".

At the same time, there should be “a bilateral discussion with Russia”.

Standstill in negotiations in the Ukraine war: Both sides hold each other responsible

Since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine at the end of February, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators had initially met regularly for negotiations or discussed a settlement of the conflict via video conference.

According to Russian news agencies, the last meeting of the two countries' chief negotiators took place on April 22nd.

Russia blames Ukraine for the deadlock.

"The talks are indeed not progressing and we note that Ukrainian negotiators have a complete lack of will to continue this process," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow on Wednesday.

Earlier, Ukraine said the talks had been suspended because of Russia's stance.

Moscow lacks understanding of "what is happening in the world right now and its extremely negative role," said Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak.

Ukraine negotiations: British Foreign Secretary wants to equip Moldova according to NATO standards

+++ 1:15 p.m .:

Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has criticized the federal government’s cautious course in view of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Germany is "too hesitant to deliver heavy weapons and impose sanctions," Rasmussen told the Handelsblatt on Friday (May 20, 2022).

“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.” The Dane called on the 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.

According to 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.

Ukraine negotiations: British Foreign Secretary wants to equip Moldova according to NATO standards

Update from Saturday, May 21, 8:14 a.m .:

Since Russia poses a clear security threat to the Republic of Moldova, the country should be armed “to NATO standards”.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told The Telegraph.

She wants to ensure that not only Ukraine is "permanently able to defend itself" but also "vulnerable states" like Moldova.

"What we are currently working on is a joint commission with Ukraine and Poland to bring Ukraine's defenses up to NATO standards," Truss told The Telegraph.

This is also necessary for other endangered states such as the Republic of Moldova.

"Because the threat from Russia is even greater, we also have to make sure that they are equipped according to NATO standards," Truss is quoted as saying. 

When asked if she wanted to supply Western weapons and intelligence to Moldova, Truss replied: "I would like Moldova to be equipped to NATO standards.

This is a discussion we are having with our allies.” Putin has clearly expressed his ambitions to create a bigger Russia.

(nak with dpa/AFP)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-05-23

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