Selenskyj scoffs at Putin's annexation "farce": "Soon meaningless"

Created: 03/10/2022 04:47

By: Florian Naumann, Bedrettin Bölükbasi, Andreas Schmid

The Pope turns to Vladimir Putin for the first time - the USA are now planning a gigantic aid package in the Ukraine war.

News ticker on war diplomacy.

• Pope addresses

  Putin

  directly for the first time

  : Pontifex also appeals to Zelenskyj

• Lauterbach

  on the escalated

  Ukraine conflict

  : "We are at war with Putin"

• Weapons deliveries

  to

  Kiev

  : Germany participates in the financing of 16 howitzers

• This news ticker on

  diplomacy and talks

  in the

  Ukraine war

  is constantly updated.

Update from October 2, 11:35 p.m .:

In view of the recent successes of the Ukrainian army, Volodymyr Zelenskyj described the annexations of Russia as meaningless.

"As soon as the Ukrainian flag has returned, no one remembers the Russian farce with any papers and any annexations," Zelenskyj said in his daily video speech on Monday night.

A few hours earlier he had said that following the withdrawal of the Russians, Ukrainian troops had regained full control of the strategically important small town of Lyman in the eastern region of Donetsk.

According to a report by

, there was great destruction in Lyman, which has now been liberated, after the Russians left.

Several dead Russian soldiers are still lying on the streets of the city, the newspaper writes, citing a local reporter.

Ukraine war: USA are apparently planning a gigantic aid package – and are demanding more money from Europe

Update from October 2, 10:40 p.m .:

The USA is apparently planning a gigantic financial package to support Ukraine and its economy: 1.5 billion dollars per month are planned, reports the portal

– until the end of the war.

At the same time, there seems to be dissatisfaction with the commitment of the Europeans: Washington wants to push for aid of a similar amount, the medium reports, citing circles familiar with the topic.

Update from October 2nd, 5.30 p.m .:

Germany summoned the Russian ambassador.

Ambassador Sergej Neschajew was "promptly summoned to the Foreign Office," Annalena Baerbock's ministry told dpa when asked.

The German government is thus reacting to the further escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine and the annexation of four Ukrainian regions by Russia.

In Italy, too, the ambassador there was summoned for Monday, in Belgium this happened on Friday.

Pope addresses Putin directly for the first time – and appeals to Zelenskyj

Update from October 2, 3:51 p.m

.: Pope Francis asked Vladimir Putin to stop the “spiral of violence” in Ukraine.

During Sunday prayers in St. Peter's Square in Rome, he deplored the annexation of the four Ukrainian regions by Moscow.

It was the first time since the beginning of the Ukraine war that the Argentine pope addressed the Kremlin chief in a speech.

The situation that has arisen in the past few days increases the risk of a nuclear escalation and gives rise to fears of "uncontrollable and catastrophic consequences worldwide," the Pope said.

That mankind is again confronted with a "nuclear threat" is "absurd".

The head of the Catholic Church appealed to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be open to "serious peace negotiations".

"I am deeply saddened by the torrents of blood and tears that have been shed over these months.

I am saddened by the thousands of victims, especially children, and the widespread destruction that has left many people and families homeless and threatens large areas with cold and hunger.

Such actions are never justifiable, never!” said Francis.

Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, the Vatican has been walking a tightrope, condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the one hand, and trying to keep the possibility of a dialogue with Moscow open at the same time.

Pope Francis praying the Angelus on Sunday.

© IMAGO/VATICAN MEDIA / ipa-agency.net

Ukraine-News: Germany appoints Russian ambassador

Update from October 2, 3:48 p.m

.: Like Italy and several European countries, Germany has also summoned the Russian ambassador.

At the request of the dpa news agency, the Foreign Office said that the Ambassador Sergei Nechayev had been “summoned to the Foreign Office promptly”. 

Annexations in Ukraine: Italy summons Russian ambassador

Update from October 2, 3:28 p.m

.: Italy has summoned the Russian ambassador for Monday (October 3).

The government in Rome is reacting to the annexation of four Ukrainian regions by Russia.

As a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Rome told the German Press Agency on Sunday, this process has been coordinated with the other EU countries and the European External Action Service (EEAS).

Accordingly, it is planned that the respective Russian ambassadors will also be summoned in the other capitals; in Belgium, for example, this happened on Friday.

Weapons deliveries to Kyiv: Germany participates in the financing of 16 howitzers

Update from October 2, 2:44 p.m

.: Germany, Denmark and Norway are jointly financing the production of 16 Slovak howitzers for Ukraine.

As the Federal Ministry of Defense announced, the project has a total value of 92 million euros.

The three financing countries therefore share the costs equally.

According to the information, 16 Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers from Slovakia will be procured.

"Deliveries to Ukraine will start in 2023," it said.

According to the Federal Ministry of Defense, the project goes back to agreements at the Copenhagen donor conference for Ukraine in August.

Ukraine-News: According to the Russian court, annexations are legal

Update from October 2, 12:46 p.m

.: Russia’s constitutional court sees no violation of Russian laws in the internationally unrecognized annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

According to the state agency TASS, the court in St. Petersburg said that the admission of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions to the Russian Federation is in line with the constitution.

Lauterbach on the escalated Ukraine conflict: "We are at war with Putin"

Update from October 2, 11:19 a.m

.: As the first federal minister, the head of the health department, Karl Lauterbach, said that Germany was “at war” with Vladimir Putin.

The SPD politician used the wording on Twitter in response to the suggestion that individual NATO states should guarantee Russia that Ukraine would not join NATO in order to prepare the ground for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Lauterbach specifically tweeted the following:

According to the Bundestag Research Service, the term “war” in international law in the classic sense is characterized by: an armed struggle between states or groups of states and a declaration of war or an ultimatum.

It is noted that some international law scholars dispense with the latter feature and define war as a violent act involving the severing of diplomatic relations.

Before Lauterbach, Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) had already spoken of an “energy war” when he also tweeted for the continued use of nuclear energy.

Lauterbach received both approval and opposition on Twitter.

The suggestion of a veto against joining NATO as a concession to Putin was made by the author Richard David Precht (here more about his recent appearance on "Markus Lanz" on ZDF) in the podcast "Geyer + Niesmann" of the editorial network Germany (RND). .

Karl Lauterbach sees Germany at "war" with Putin.

© Emmanuele Contini/Imago

Update from October 1, 10:25 p.m .:

After the Russian annexation of occupied territories, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj celebrated the recapture of the strategically important city of Lyman in the east of the country.

"The Ukrainian flag is already flying in Lyman, Donetsk region," Zelenskyy said in his daily video address.

Fighting is still going on in the city, but there is no trace of the "pseudo-referendum" there, he said.

"By the way, they already started biting each other there: they are looking for the culprits, accusing some generals of failure," Zelenskyy commented on the angry reactions from Moscow to the retreat in Lyman.

It was only the first warning shot for all those who took part in President Vladimir Putin's war.

Until they solve the problem with the one "who started this, for Russia, senseless war against Ukraine, you will be killed and scapegoated one by one," predicted the 44-year-old.

Lambrecht visits Ukraine - Minister has to go to the bunker in Odessa after an air alarm

Update from October 1, 8:20 p.m .:

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht visits Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the war.

She had to temporarily seek shelter in a bunker because of an air alarm.

The alarm in Odessa lasted about 45 minutes.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said the Russians shot down a Kalibr missile, most likely from a ship.

In the bunker he advertised the delivery of anti-ship missiles.

The SPD politician said the situation made it clear how important it was to quickly deliver a first promised unit of the IRIS-T SLM ground-based air defense system.

Lambrecht spoke of delivery in a few days and praised the system's Ukrainian team, which she met during training in Germany.

“Ukraine is currently experiencing an incredible number of airstrikes, and that is why it is so important that we provide even more support in terms of air defense,” said Lambrecht.

“She can rely on us there.” She also visited a cheetah sanctuary in Odessa.

The minister showed understanding for Ukraine's application to be quickly admitted to NATO.

For such a procedure, however, certain conditions would have to be met.

"And very importantly: NATO has positioned itself clearly, we will not become a war party.

We made that clear at the beginning of this conflict and we will continue to do so.”

Ukraine-News: Ukraine joins NATO - Diplomat expects membership only after the war

Update from October 1, 6 p.m.:

According to the delegation of the Ukrainian parliament in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Ukraine will most likely only join the alliance after the end of the war.

"During the war, this possibility is very small," the Ukrainian news agency

quoted the head of the delegation as saying, Yegor Schernev, with a view to Ukraine's membership.

Nevertheless, some processes and rules would now change, he emphasized.

Therefore, while there are certainly chances of joining during the war, post-war membership is more likely.

Ukraine-News: Denmark and Great Britain promise further support

Update from October 1, 2 p.m.:

Denmark and Great Britain have pledged their continued support to Ukraine.

"Britain and Denmark support Ukraine very strongly and we will continue to do so and work together," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said after meeting her British counterpart Liz Truss.

Both heads of government again assessed the leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines as sabotage.

"It is very important for me to emphasize that the Danish authorities are of the opinion that it was not an accident.

This is sabotage of critical infrastructure.

So it's a very serious situation," Frederiksen said.

The IAEA, meanwhile, demanded that Russia release the kidnapped chief of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

British secret service suspects Russian ammunition bottlenecks - use before anti-missiles

Update from October 1, 10:40 a.m

.: The British secret service suspects that Russia is now using defensive missiles in its ground offensive in Ukraine.

They are actually intended for shooting down aircraft or other projectiles.

Such a long-range anti-aircraft missile was allegedly used in an attack on a convoy south-east of the city of Zaporizhia on Friday.

25 to 30 civilians died.

The British secret services see the use of such a missile as a sign of Russian ammunition shortages, since these weapons are considered strategically valuable and only available in limited numbers.

Moscow is now allegedly using such weapons to gain tactical advantages and is accepting that civilians are being killed, according to London's latest intelligence report.

Zelenskyj advisor warns against the use of nuclear weapons: "The risk is increasing"

First report from October 1st

: Kiev/Moscow - Statistically speaking, it takes 15 months for a war between two states to end.

In the Ukraine war, the question is how such an end to the war should be brought about.

Negotiations have been stagnating for months, and Russia responded to a Ukrainian counter-offensive with referendums on annexation in four Ukrainian regions.

On Friday, Vladimir Putin announced that the Zaporizhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions have now been officially annexed: another key and possibly turning point in this war.

Because: If there are now Ukrainian attacks on these areas, Russia has a reason for war.

The Kremlin will then probably argue that Russian territory has been attacked and that one must defend oneself.

"By all means," as Putin recently threatened several times.

Even with nuclear weapons?

Ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel recently said that Putin should be taken seriously when he says: "I'm not bluffing." Ukraine also seems concerned.

Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, thinks it is conceivable that Moscow could also use nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine.

"In view of the internal panic in the Russian Federation and the increasing military defeats, the risk of this is increasing," said the Selenskyj advisor to

.

more on the subject

What if Putin loses?

This is how experts assess the danger of a nuclear strike

Use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine?

"That would be Putin's end and he knows it"

Other experts currently see no immediate threat of nuclear weapons use.

"Of course, there is always this theoretical option of using chemical or nuclear weapons in the background," military expert Carlo Massala told

.

"At the moment I think that's very unlikely."

Military expert Gustav Gressel takes a similar view.

"I think that's relatively unlikely," he says in an interview with our editors.

"A tactical nuclear weapon would change little at the front, if only because the Ukrainian military is relatively decentralized."

Peter Neumann of London's Kings College thinks so.

"I currently consider the use of nuclear weapons to be out of the question." This is due to the threat of a reaction from the West, especially the USA.

“Putin is aware that in such a case the US would immediately actively intervene in the war.

That would be Putin's end and he knows it."

Nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war?

Medvedev: "Russia has the right"

The Kremlin itself appeased on Friday.

"People who talk about a nuclear escalation are acting very irresponsibly," Putin's government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday (September 30).

If you look at Putin's speeches, it is striking that he never speaks directly of "nuclear weapons".

It is only an indirect suggestion that "all available means will be used".

Ex-President Medvedev was clearer: "I have to remind you again - for the deaf who only hear themselves.

Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if necessary.”