The situation in the morning: Scholz must make Germany's goals more recognizable!

Visit to Kyiv: The longing for clarity travels with us

waited a long

time to travel to Kiev.

Earlier he would have found Ukraine in better shape, despite the war.

She did amazingly well in the battles for weeks.

In the meantime, however, the Russian military has learned from the mistakes of the beginning and is becoming stronger and stronger.

The Russian president also uses the time factor in another way: he wears down his real opponent, the West.

.

Sometimes he panics the West with hints that he would not shy away from a nuclear strike.

Sometimes he

, as is the case right now.

He wants to ensure that the political representatives of the West keep an eye on him and his demands and do not give in too much to the wishes of Ukraine.

In interviews over the past few days, Ukrainian President

has made it clear that he would not believe in Germany being guided by a policy of "balancing the gaps", i.e. making an effort on the one hand for Ukraine, but at the same time worrying that Putin will not lose face.

The Polish political scientist

now also writes in a guest article for SPIEGEL that Germany should finally give up the idea that its role in Europe is that of an "honest broker" who balances out mutual interests at the negotiating table.

It should give the German government pause for thought that representatives from Eastern Europe who are close to them see them this way: trying to balance, but unclear.

Of course, she must continue to support Ukraine and keep a close eye on Putin as a highly dangerous opponent.

However, it is urgently

.

Zelenskiyj towards Putin, towards the world.

For example: how does Germany intend to pave the way for Ukraine to join the EU?

• Scholz' trip to Kyiv: in and out in eight hours 

You can find more news and background information on the war in Ukraine here:

• That happened at night:

  President Zelenskyj sees progress in international aid for his country.

  Russia raises allegations of a failed evacuation.

  And: Ukrainian agriculture is suffering.

  The overview.

• "Promises don't help on the battlefield":

  Olaf Scholz is finally traveling to Kiev on Thursday.

  What does the Ukrainian government expect from the Chancellor?

  A conversation with Selenskyj advisor Mykhailo Podoljak. 

• Two US citizens apparently disappeared in eastern Ukraine after volunteering in combat:

  They apparently fought voluntarily for Ukraine, now two Americans can't be found in the east of the country.

  Should Russia hold them captive, there could be significant diplomatic ramifications.

• How Europe's split can still be prevented:

  The longer Putin's attack on Ukraine lasts, the clearer the rifts between Western and Eastern Europe become.

  Germany and France must do more to regain their credibility. 

Allegations of Sexual Assault: Kevin Spacey, Shakespeare and the Human Abyss

Five years ago, at the height of the #MeToo debate, US actor

was confronted with

.

The Oscar winner is due to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court, a court in London, at 10 a.m. today.

Spacey has been charged with four counts of sexually assaulting three men.

He is also accused of having enticed a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

Spacey said through his spokesman that he was confident the trial would prove his innocence.

I once saw Kevin Spacey as Richard III.

seen.

That was many years ago and the allegations against him had not yet been made.

He was incredibly good.

Any actor who wants to be a match for Shakespeare's royal dramas must know the depravity of which humans are capable.

Shakespeare's Richard III.

is completely spoiled.

Should the judges now convict Spacey, would he at least be exonerated as an artist?

Because his abysses would have enabled him to be such a grandiose Shakespearean actor?

Of course not.

An actor doesn't have to commit crimes to portray human depths particularly well.

He needs an extraordinary imagination, he needs talent and excellent craftsmanship.

Art cannot relieve the people who created it.

• New York decision: Judge allows lawsuit against Kevin Spacey

Loser of the day...

… is the

.

If I may explain briefly: For a few days I have been trying to become a good citizen and to heed the

.

A first feeling of elation set in when I realized how much it actually brings if you turn the heating down even slightly.

I wanted to implement another long-cherished plan immediately.

In the past, when you were a better person, you got very nervous when

on an electronic device was lit.

Eventually you got used to the glow because it was becoming more and more difficult to switch devices off completely.

So it's time to get back to the cultural technique of consistently switching off.

The stand-by lamp on my new television always lights up, even if I have previously pressed the off button on the remote control.

The search for a real off button on the television itself led to the realization that it didn't know how to overcome stand-by mode either.

The light goes on and on.

Apparently, modern buttons can no longer do anything.

What to do?

Simply pulling the plug after the "Tagesschau" would probably disturb my television's sense of honor, because it makes it clear to me that it actually sees itself as a computer and not as a boring TV set.

Every time I unplug it completely and then turn it back on, it has to tediously and, I think, not without indignation, start it up again.

My concern is that he would use a lot of power when booting up as a protest against my unplugging, which he felt to be intrusive.

So do you need an old TV?

With a real power off button that makes you feel like you're back in charge of your own house and not surrounded by devices doing what they think is right?

I learned that if you accidentally left an old device in stand-by mode, the power consumption would be too high.

On the other hand, devices that only came onto the market after 2013 only have a maximum power consumption of 0.5 watts in stand-by mode (you'll notice, I'm practicing my technical vocabulary), according to an EU regulation.

This corresponds to just under 4.5 kWh of energy consumption per device over a year.

So the longed-for real switch-off button would not do much in the geopolitical struggle for energy.

But how I would like to have one again – for my own self-confidence.

• Private consumption: It's so easy to save ten percent of your energy 

The latest news from the night

• US panel of experts recommends approval of corona vaccinations for small children:

  Can children under the age of five soon be vaccinated against the corona virus in the USA?

  A panel of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a unanimous recommendation.

• Washington names street after Jamal Khashoggi - opposite the Saudi Arabian embassy:

  It's a clear signal to Riyadh: In the US capital there is now a street name that commemorates the killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

  Both the place and the time are chosen with care.

• Johnson's adviser on the code of conduct resigns from his post:

  It feels right - this is how Johnson adviser Christopher Geidt justifies his resignation.

  In his position, he should ensure that the government adheres to the standards of behavior it has set itself.

The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today

• »Robert Habeck is the perfect narrator«

  A modern politician needs a good story, says Fritz Breithaupt.

  How narratives can change the world for the better or manipulate people.

• What homeowners have to worry about now:

  Anyone who owns a house will soon have additional work: A new property tax return is due, and soon.

  Here's what you should know about it. 

• The night watchman history forgot:

  Without Frank Wills, the Watergate scandal would never have been exposed.

  The African American security guard noticed the burglary that started it all.

  But his role was long ignored - he died alone and in poverty.

I wish you a good start into the day.

Yours, Susanne Beyer