The situation in the morning: the Union's Russia problem

He's nuts, Putin

I usually try to spare you comic vocabulary, dear reader.

But my reaction to the appearance of the Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin yesterday in St. Petersburg can best be summed up as follows: "Huh?"

After all, he had denied Ukraine sovereign statehood!

That was his main reason for his invasion!

And now, on the podium at the International Economic Forum, he is saying about a possible candidate status for the EU: »We have nothing against it.

It is the sovereign decision of each country to join economic alliances or not.« Only NATO, the military alliance, bothers him.

Confusion is a tactic of war.

Shouldn't fall for it.

I just say: "Pffffff".

• Putin's striving for expansion: Why the Russians are slipping away from the post-Soviet space 

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

• That happened at night:

  Ukraine apparently recaptured a village in the east, Barley warns against "hasty" EU accession

• The forgotten front:

  With missiles against Russian ships: A Ukrainian offensive near Cherson and attacks in the Black Sea indicate that fierce fighting is also imminent in the south of the country. 

• "Absolutely necessary to talk to Putin":

  Ukrainian President Zelenskyj thinks it is wrong for the Chancellor to keep a channel open to Kremlin chief Putin.

  Olaf Scholz has now defended this course again.

• This is how the man who cuts gas in Germany lives:

  A 240-million-dollar villa with a home cinema, an ice rink and a wardrobe just for fur coats: Gazprom boss Alexej Miller lives in a spectacular way.

  His luxury dacha is an example of the life of the Putin elite. 

Lobbying for Russia: It's not just the SPD

The shame for former Chancellor

knows no party lines, but it seemed to suit Union members quite well that the lobbyist for Russian corporations belongs to the SPD.

Schröder attracts so much anger that the CDU/CSU has not been looked at too closely.

But now my colleagues Frank Dohmen and Gerald Traufetter have found out that the former Bavarian Prime Minister

and ex-Federal Environment Minister

have been on the payroll for years

.

According to information from my colleagues, some of the sums were up to six figures.

Union politicians took on

.

The forum was financed via various associations and foundations, most recently by VNG.

The two Union people gave speeches at congresses with representatives from science, politics and business.

Other CDU politicians, such as the former Chancellor

, sometimes appeared for a fee, the VNG confirms – but emphasizes that the forum was exclusively for scientific purposes.

Neither Gazprom nor Russian politics have influenced work and the annual events.

, who is close to the Kremlin and is a

of the Saint Petersburg Mining University

, acted as the patron of the Russian side .

Litvinenko is one of the signatories to an appeal by Russian university rectors to motivate them to support the country and the army in the Ukraine war.

When asked by my colleagues, Stoiber and Töpfer asserted that over the years they had only been concerned with the important cooperation with Russia and the scientific exchange.

At least Töpfer is now critical of people like Litvinenko.

Both politicians strongly condemn the war against Ukraine.

The work of the German-Russian Raw Materials Forum was discontinued when the war began.

The differences to the unfortunately incorrigible Schröder are to be considered.

• Disguised payments, favors: the Union also has a problem with Russia 

Staff shortages in the federal, state and local governments

It is unusual for Germans not to be afraid of unemployment.

Because this fear was always there, even in the best of times.

And yes, even then there could be good reasons for this fear.

But the auditing company PwC is now formulating a different form of fear: of

.

The federal, state and local governments will lack

, the experts write in a new report that will be presented next week.

This is "a completely new dimension, with massive

," it says.

"It's about nothing less than the question of whether the public sector can still fulfill its core tasks in the future," my colleague Christian Reiermann quotes one of the authors of the study as saying.

It would be typically German to only react with countermeasures when the worst fears have materialized.

• Public service: Study warns public service of a threatening shortage of skilled workers

does she really mean us?

"Wow" is an expression of admiration, and the fact that we Germans like to use it is in turn an expression of our admiration for the USA: Saying "Wow", wearing jeans, drinking Coca-Cola, at some point we got used to it like we do we can also see what the big brothers (or sisters) are doing.

But it's rather irritating for us when Americans look at Germany and exclaim »Wow« themselves.

Do they really mean us?

Is there a mix-up?

In an interview with René Pfister, my colleague in Washington,

, who German journalists occasionally assume is a disgrace us with his Ukraine policy abroad and especially in the USA.

Donfried, however, is "impressed" by the chancellor's speech on the turning point, which he gave immediately after the outbreak of war in the Ukraine: weapons in conflict areas;

pledge to spend more than 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense;

Announcement of a so-called special fund for the Bundeswehr worth 100 billion euros;

Suspension of Nord Stream 2 - "I've been watching Germany for a long time and I thought: Wow!"

The diplomat, who studied in Munich, even expresses her understanding that the implementation of the change of era plans will take time.

There is, however, the tone of the big brothers (and sisters) praising the immature ones to encourage them to do better.

It does not matter anyway.

Any praise, which is so common among siblings, is taken.

• Top US diplomat on war in Ukraine: "Ukrainians are right to ask for more help" 

Winner of the day...

…is

.

I learned from a text by my colleague Nike Laurenz that you can do it again - with a ring and bent men's knees.

I think you always have to be on the side of the lovers.

Let them do what makes them happy.

My colleague has a similar view, but took a closer look for her text.

She notices that the young women leave it up to the young men to make the applications, even if the women don't think that this should be the case.

"So we're doing nothing but turning back time," writes my colleague.

I see your point,

For example, if at a funeral someone picks up a guitar and utters shuffy-du tones, I feel disturbed in my devotions.

However, since love, like death, is a serious matter, lovers should actually be aware of what they are doing and the effects it can have.

My colleague's text is the perfect impetus for this.

The latest news from the night

• Body of British journalist Phillips identified in Brazil:

  As feared, one of the two bodies found in the Amazon region is British journalist Dom Phillips.

  Criticism of the investigation is growing.

• Large forest fire in Brandenburg – explosive ordnance is suspected in the area:

  “Detonations have already occurred”: The forest is burning in the south-west of Berlin.

  The extinguishing work near the small town of Treuenbrietzen is difficult - explosive ordnance is suspected on the site.

• "Now I'm free":

  After 30 years of politics, Angela Merkel is retired - and talks publicly about this time.

  In an interview, she said what she intends to do: hiking in West Germany.

  Another big topic: Putin.

The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today

• The three from the Zankstelle

  : The time of the harmony selfies by Habeck, Lindner, Baerbock and Co. is over: The dispute over the tank discount brought the traffic light its first serious crisis.

  What the tugging means for the future of the coalition.

• Putin's troops want to exorcise the people here from being Ukrainian

  : in Cherson, the occupiers have taken over the administration, they distribute passports, abduct and torture opponents.

  The residents waver between fear, resignation – and resistance.

• "You'd better hurry up when buying a house"

  : Prices are rising, but the dream of owning your own property can still come true.

  Here, the independent consultant Stefanie Kühn explains what solid financing looks like – and what you should keep your hands off.

• At night you can see the brake discs glowing here

  : the 24-hour »Le Mans« rally is a grand opera, only with a lot more motor than music.

  Right in the middle: actor Michael Faßbender.

  It's a childhood dream come true - and a clever marketing scoop.

I wish you a good start into the day.

Yours, Susanne Beyer