Enlarge image
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: "The future of Ukraine lies in the EU"
Photo: Ukraine Presidency / Planet Pix / ZUMA Press Wire / picture alliance / dpa
This article will be continuously updated.
Ukraine reportedly fends off Russian attack near Lysychansk
8:52 a.m .:
Ukrainian troops say they have repelled a Russian attack on the southern outskirts of Lysychansk, the last city in the Luhansk region fully controlled by Ukraine.
This is announced by the governor of the region.
Serhiy Hajday wrote on Telegram that Russia has taken control of the village of Mykolaivka, which is near a major highway to Lysychansk.
The Ukrainian general staff also said that Russia had attacked the cities of Lysychansk and Sievjerodonetsk with tanks, mortars, artillery and from the air.
Governor announces troop withdrawal from Sieverodonetsk
7.23 a.m .:
Ukraine announces a troop withdrawal from the city of Sievjerodonetsk in the east of the country, which has been fought over for weeks.
The Ukrainian troops must be withdrawn, says the governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Hajday, on television.
The city is largely occupied by Russian forces.
"There is no point in staying in positions that have been shattered over many months just to stay there," he adds.
The head of the network agency warns that gas deliveries from Russia will end
6.57 a.m .:
The President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, considers it possible that Russia will completely stop supplying gas to Germany through the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1.
"We cannot rule it out," he said on Friday in the ARD "Morgenmagazin".
That is why the Federal Network Agency has calculated various scenarios.
»Most of the scenarios are not nice and mean either too little gas at the end of winter or – a very difficult situation – in autumn or winter.«
Müller called for energy saving.
"Everyone in industry and privately can contribute to this - and yes, that includes the jumper, the shower head, turning the heating down a bit, all of that helps," he said.
In any case, one has to reckon with the fact that consumer prices could double or triple, depending on the building envelope.
Therefore, the citizens should save money and talk to the landlords in the direction of autumn.
"Now there is still something to be done."
Lindner is against a »war solo«
6.49 a.m .:
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) has rejected the demand of his Baden-Württemberg counterpart Danyal Bayaz (Greens) for a “war solo”.
Lindner warned on Friday that massive tax increases such as "war solos" are likely to strangle economic development.
»We need more growth impulses, more start-ups, more overtime to ensure our prosperity.
Tax increases would sabotage the strengthening of the economic situation," he told the German Press Agency in Berlin.
Because of the great burden of the Ukraine war and the corona pandemic, Bayaz believes tax increases after the crisis are unavoidable.
"Why not something like a war solo in such a difficult time," said the Green politician on Thursday in the SWR program "Zur Sache Baden-Württemberg".
The traffic light has ruled out tax increases in its coalition agreement.
But once this crisis is over, the question must be answered as to who will foot the bill for the aid packages and the special fund for the Bundeswehr.
Lindner said: »We are in a fragile situation.
On the one hand, people fear that inflation will not be able to pay for their lives.
On the other hand, an economic crash must be prevented.« Compliance with the debt brake is an important contribution to combating inflation.
“The interest rates, which are also rising sharply for Baden-Württemberg, should prompt my esteemed colleague not to recommend any new debt to the federal government,” said the FDP chairman.
Ukrainian politician warns refugees against hasty return
6.05 a.m .:
Warnings are coming from Ukraine against a hasty return of the approximately five million war refugees who have been admitted to Europe.
»There are two essential prerequisites: We have to find ways and means of rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure, at least in part.
And where they are going, a functioning anti-missile defense system is needed - just like it more or less exists for Kyiv now," said Olena Sotnyk, adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, after talks in Berlin.
Olena Haluschka, board member of the Ukrainian organization Anticorruption Action Centersei, named the clearing of mines and hidden booby traps in areas that the Ukrainian side had recaptured from the Russian army as a further prerequisite.
At their meetings with German politicians, the two women reported that the main thing they had urged was a rapid delivery of more weapons.
They described the fact that the anti-tank howitzers promised by Germany had now arrived at the front as a "turning point".
Zelenskyy celebrates Ukraine's EU candidate status
5:00
a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recognized his country’s EU candidate status as a historic moment.
"The future of Ukraine lies in the EU," he emphasized after the decision of the EU heads of state and government at the summit in Brussels.
At the same time, this is currently the largest possible step to strengthen Europe, "while the Russian war is testing our ability to maintain freedom and unity."
Great Britain wants to help clear sea mines
00:24:
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has signaled his country's willingness to help clear sea mines off the coast of Ukraine.
Johnson told Reuters news agency during a visit to Rwanda that he did not want to give any technical or military details.
However, it can be concluded from the measures that have already been taken "that we are definitely talking to them on a technical level to help with mine clearance near Odessa".
In addition, Great Britain is available with expertise for support in the insurance of sea freight.
muk/ptz/dpa/AFP/Reuters
