According to Ukrainian President Selenskyj, the Ukraine war could intensify this week: the reason is the pending decision on Ukraine's EU candidate status.
Zelenskyj
warns of
"hostile actions"
: President Volodymyr Zelenskyj makes a gloomy forecast that also includes European countries.
Peace
researchers warn of
violence
: The ongoing Ukraine conflict is leading to violence worldwide.
They also warn of nuclear escalation.
Transit
dispute over
Kaliningrad
: Russia's dispute with Lithuania comes to a head.
Debt settlement:
Putin wants to
enable ruble payments
This
news ticker on negotiations and diplomatic efforts
in the escalating Ukraine conflict is constantly updated.
Debt reversal: Putin wants to enable ruble payments
Update from June 22, 7:34 p.m .:
Russia wants to temporarily allow the repayment of some foreign debts in rubles in view of the pressure of sanctions on its own financial system.
According to a decree signed by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, obligations to holders of Russian eurobonds will be deemed to have been made even if they are settled in rubles.
He instructed the Russian government to clarify technical details within the next ten days and to determine banks through which the payments can be processed in the future.
Foreign creditors would then have to open an account with these banks, which can later convert rubles into foreign currencies.
The background to the decision are the far-reaching sanctions, including against the Russian banking system, which Western countries imposed in response to Russia's war against Ukraine.
The sanctions effectively exclude Russia and its banks from the financial system, which is dominated by Western states.
In addition, a significant part of Russia's financial reserves stored abroad is blocked by sanctions.
These restrictions make it almost impossible for Russia to pay its creditors abroad - even though the financial means are actually there.
Update from June 22, 11:47 a.m .:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected in Tehran on Wednesday, where he is to meet his Iranian colleague Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
As the state news agency IRNA explained, the meeting of the two foreign ministers will take place on Thursday.
The two countries affected by international sanctions recently agreed to expand their cooperation in the areas of energy and trade.
Update from June 22, 6:47 a.m
.: In his video message on Wednesday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his demands for a new sanctions package.
"Russia must feel the growing pressure as a result of the war and its aggressive anti-European policies," said the Ukrainian leader.
In talks with several European heads of state and government, he stressed that a seventh package of sanctions was needed as soon as possible.
Ukraine as an EU accession candidate?
Broad support is emerging
Update from June 21, 2:22 p.m .:
Shortly before the decisive EU summit at the end of this week, the EU states are showing broad support for the prospect of EU membership for Ukraine and Moldova.
There is currently not a single country causing problems, said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn on the sidelines of an EU meeting in Luxembourg.
There will be great unanimity.
The French Secretary of State for Europe, Clement Beaune, as the current Chairman of the EU Council of Ministers for Europe, also expressed his confidence.
"I think there's a consensus forming right now," he said.
He is optimistic, but also cautious, because unanimity is required for heads of state and government summits.
For example, it is still unclear whether EU states such as Austria, Slovenia and Croatia will link their approval of the EU accession candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova to progress in efforts to expand the EU to include the Western Balkans.
Specifically, there are calls, among other things, for Bosnia-Herzegovina to be granted the status of an EU accession candidate.
Peace researchers warn: Researchers warn of nuclear escalation in the Ukraine war
Update from June 21, 11:36 a.m .:
Germany’s leading peace research institutes have warned of new crises as a result of the Ukraine war.
The sharp rise in raw material and food prices is threatening "a food crisis, especially for African developing and emerging countries," the peace researchers said in their peace report 2022, which was presented at the federal press conference on Tuesday dependent.
"In the past, rising food prices there have repeatedly been the cause of so-called 'bread riots' and led to an escalation of violence," the peace researchers explained.
Regardless of the Ukraine war, the number of violent conflicts worldwide has recently increased again.
Of the 128 conflicts counted in 2020, 78 took place on the African continent.
Against the background of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the scientists warned of a nuclear escalation.
"A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be waged," it said.
Germany should therefore work to prevent the proliferation and expansion of nuclear arsenals.
It is also important to plan now for the time after the war and to develop strategies for a "new European peace order".
The most urgent task for the European Union is to become “more agile and capable of acting” in foreign and security policy.
Russia's dispute with Lithuania is coming to a head
Updated June 21st. 10:52 a.m .:
Russia is apparently serious about the dispute with Lithuania.
The Kremlin accuses the country of blocking the Russian exclave.
Lithuania is citing EU sanctions against Russia in its moves.
According to TASS, the head of the EU delegation in Moscow, Markus Ederer, was invited to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
Update from June 21, 7:26 a.m
.: Russia sees relations with the West as damaged.
"Yes, it will be a long crisis," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in an interview with US television channel MSNBC that was broadcast on Tuesday night.
"We will never trust the West again." Since the beginning of its war against Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly raised accusations against Western states - for example because of military support for the country under attack.
Ukraine News: US President unlikely to visit Ukraine
US President Joe Biden has described a visit to Ukraine as part of the upcoming trips to Europe and the Middle East as "unlikely".
In general, such a trip always depends on whether it would bring difficulties and distractions for Ukraine, Biden said on Monday in Rehoboth Beach in his home state of Delaware.
At the end of June, the US President will attend the summit of the G7 countries in Germany in Elmau, after which he will travel to the NATO summit in Madrid.
Biden has not traveled to Ukraine since war broke out on February 24.
However, his wife Jill made a surprise visit to Ukraine in May.
Zelenskyy accuses Russia of taking hostages in Africa
Update from June 20, 5:59 p.m
.: According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, negotiations to lift the blockade of Ukrainian ports are difficult.
“We are conducting complex, multi-level negotiations to unblock our Ukrainian ports.
But there is no progress yet," he said in a video address at an African Union (AU) meeting on Monday.
No real instrument has yet been found to ensure that Russia (the ports) does not attack again.
Ukraine war: Zelenskyj addresses the world via video
Ukraine war: Zelenskyj addresses the world via video
Zelenskyy accused Russia of taking Africa "hostage" in the conflict.
"The global food crisis will last as long as this colonial war lasts," said the head of state.
Millions of tons of grain are currently stuck in Ukrainian ports, destined mainly for Africa.
Because of the blockade by the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, they cannot be exported.
US suspends delivery of drones to Ukraine for fear of Russia
Update from June 20, 11:39 a.m
.: According to information from the Bulgarian platform
bulgarianmilitary.com
, the USA had suspended drone deliveries to Ukraine due to technical concerns.
As a US reporter, Mike Stone, claims to have learned from two senior Pentagon sources, concerns arose during a debate about the safety of the weapons.
According to the information, Ukraine had been promised several high-tech drones MQ-1C Gray Eagles, which can fly persistently, provide reconnaissance and attack enemy positions.
If the drones fall into Russian hands, there could be a risk that Russia will receive sensitive information about US radar systems, the Pentagon apparently fears.
However, the last word has not yet been spoken - higher levels in the Pentagon should now deal with it.
One way Ukraine could still get hold of the high-tech weapons from the United States is to replace the radar systems.
But Pentagon informants said it could take months.
Selenskyj speaks of "historic week" - EU consultations on Ukraine
First report from June 20:
Kiev - "Tomorrow begins a truly historic week when we hear from the European Union the answer on Ukraine's candidate status," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj on Monday night.
Will this "historic" decision affect possible negotiations surrounding the Ukraine war with Vladimir Putin?
Selenskyj makes at least a forecast for the near future.
Ukraine talks: Zelenskyy warns of "hostile actions"
During the visit to Kyiv by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the country was promised that Ukraine could be granted EU accession candidate status.
The EU Commission then issued a corresponding recommendation on Friday.
Now all 27 member states have to agree to it.
The final decision is to be made at the EU summit this week, on 23/24.
June fall.
Selenskyj has a fear for the course of the war in his country - and for the situation in other EU countries: Because of the decision on EU accession status, Russia will "demonstratively intensify its hostile actions".
He warned that Russia's "hostile actions" would not only target Ukraine but other European countries as well.
According to information from the British Guardian
, the Kremlin is closely monitoring the further course of the accession negotiations,
although Putin had announced that he had nothing against Ukraine joining the EU .
In an interview with the Münchner Merkur
newspaper, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said
: "Putin seems to be afraid that the spark of democracy could spread to his country.
That is why for years he has been pursuing a policy aimed at dissolving NATO and the EU.”
List of rubrics: © IMAGO / ITAR-TASS
