New law: Putin is isolating Russia more and more internationally – the British are considering supplying main battle tanks
Created: 09/01/2023, 18:50
By: Florian Naumann
There is no talk of negotiations: Russia is again raising allegations of satanism in the Ukraine war – and making promises to its own citizens.
The news ticker.
Battle tanks
to
Ukraine
: British consider delivery
Putin
continues to isolate
Russia
: Anti-corruption deal with Europe terminated
Putin employee
makes promises to
Russia
: "victory" and "beautiful life" for sure
This
news ticker
on diplomacy in the
Ukraine war
is continuously updated.
Update from January 9, 4:25 p.m
.: The Greens are putting pressure on Chancellor Scholz and the SPD on the issue of Leopard 2 deliveries. “We Greens have always said that we have to support Ukraine with everything that is possible,” said Group leader Katharina Dröge now the Bavarian radio.
"Sometimes it would have been good if we had acted faster."
The Greens European politician Anton Hofreiter again expressly demanded the delivery of Leopard 2 main battle tanks.
"I would only wish that it would succeed without the choking and the months of delay, as we saw with the marten," he told the broadcasters RTL and ntv.
The hesitation only means "that Ukrainian soldiers die unnecessarily".
The federal government, together with its partners, is constantly adapting its decisions to developments "on the battlefield" "in order to provide Ukraine with maximum support," said Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck on Sunday (January 8) in the ARD program "Report from Berlin” said.
A delivery of Leopard tanks to Kyiv is "of course not" out of the question.
According to Kyiv, arms deliveries from the West are not enough
Update from January 9, 4:04 p.m
.: Kiev has shown its gratitude for the previous and announced Western arms deliveries – but from the country’s point of view they are not yet sufficient.
"No one has done enough as long as Russian boots are on Ukrainian soil," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted.
Arming the Ukrainian army is the shortest way to restore peace and security in Europe.
Leopard 2 main battle tanks from Germany to Ukraine: "No intentions at the moment"
Update from January 9, 3:11 p.m
.: The traffic light coalition under Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) initially does not want to give in to the demand from Ukraine, but also from coalition politicians from the FDP and the Greens, for the delivery of heavy Leopard 2 main battle tanks.
"The federal government currently has no intention of supplying Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine," government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin.
Battle tanks to Ukraine: British consider delivery
Update from January 9, 2:34 p.m
.: According to the TV channel Sky News, Great Britain is considering delivering up to ten Challenger 2 battle tanks to Kiev.
The vehicles could therefore be used to ward off Russian attacks.
Corresponding discussions have been going on for weeks, the report said.
Such a move would also encourage other states to supply main battle tanks, a "Ukrainian source" quoted Sky News as saying.
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The British Ministry of Defense initially did not comment on the report.
The UK has so far delivered more than 200 armored vehicles to Ukraine, including Stormer anti-aircraft systems, sources said.
A military exercise by Italian soldiers with Challenger 2 main battle tanks in Hohenfels, Germany (symbol image).
© piemags/Imago
Lavrov on the phone with Xi: Russia and China's foreign ministers united against the West
Update from January 9, 2:14 p.m
.: Russia’s chief diplomat Sergey Lavrov spoke to Qin Gang, China’s new foreign minister, on the phone.
Both sides had demonstrated unity towards the West.
They rejected "the policy of the United States and its satellites to establish hegemony in international relations," according to a press release from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Beijing and Moscow accuse the West of interfering in internal affairs.
It was the first conversation between the two diplomats since Qin took office.
Lavrov invited his colleague to visit Russia.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and China's head of state and party leader Xi Jinping had previously spoken on the phone.
Xi also received an invitation to an official state visit.
Update January 9, 1:05 p.m
.: Western states have complied with Ukrainian demands for the delivery of tanks after much hesitation.
However, according to Moscow, these will not affect the outcome of the war.
"In principle, these deliveries cannot and will not change anything in Ukraine," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, according to the Interfax news agency.
It's not just about the French AMX-10RC light tanks, which he was asked about, but about all western arms supplies.
After France, Germany and the USA have also promised Ukraine armored personnel carriers.
According to Kremlin spokesman Peskov, Western tank deliveries to Ukraine will not affect the outcome of the war.
(Archive photo) © Sergei Bobylev/Imago
According to Peskov, Western weapons would only prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
"These deliveries cannot thwart the achievement of the objectives of the military special operation," said the 55-year-old.
Putin continues to isolate Russia: Anti-corruption deal with Europe terminated
Update from January 9, 11:16 a.m
.: Vladimir Putin isolating Russia more and more internationally.
The Kremlin chief wants to withdraw from Russia's participation in the Council of Europe's Criminal Law Convention on Combating Corruption.
According to the law database, Putin introduced a law to this effect in parliament on Monday.
He justified the dismissal with discrimination against Russia.
The Council of Europe curtailed Russia's full membership of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO).
"In accordance with this decision, Russia's membership of GRECO will be suspended, except in cases where GRECO conducts its observer mission on compliance with our country's commitments, in which case Russia loses the right to participate in the discussion or adoption of reports and the right to vote,” says the explanatory letter to the law.
This discrimination is unacceptable for Russia.
Since the start of its war of aggression against Ukraine, Moscow has already suspended its membership in a number of international organizations and reneged on international treaties.
Russia has left the Council of Europe and, for example, no longer recognizes the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
Since the start of the Ukraine war: human trafficking has increased dramatically
Update from January 9, 7.55 a.m
.: According to the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Helga Maria Schmid, human trafficking has increased dramatically since the start of the Ukraine war.
"Global online searches for sexual services and pornographic depictions by Ukrainian women and children have increased by up to 600 percent since the beginning of the war," Schmid said in Monday's edition of Die
Welt
.
The trade in pregnant women has also increased significantly since the beginning of the war.
The victims of sex crimes are lured online with false promises, abused in private accommodation in host countries or intercepted directly at the border by undercover human traffickers.
Schmid also spoke out against Russia's exclusion from the OSCE.
Keeping diplomatic channels open does not mean that there is agreement.
"In any case, from today's perspective, I think it makes sense for Russia to remain a member of the OSCE." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had called for Moscow's exclusion.
"One day we will need communication channels again," said the top German diplomat.
Lavrov spokeswoman rages in Ukraine war: "This is pure Satanism"
First report from January 8
: Moscow - Western governments see Russia in the Ukraine war before a new dilemma - Vladimir Putin's government now seems to be relegated to promises, known allegations and slogans to persevere.
There was no talk of negotiations on the first weekend of January (January 7/8) either on the Ukrainian or on the Russian side.
Instead, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued new sanctions against clergy.
The spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Maria Zakharova, made the most severe accusations against Ukraine on Sunday (January 8) - in a well-known, religiously tinged style.
Western experts also classified the most recent "ceasefire" not least as a propaganda measure.
Among other things, Selenskyj had 13 priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is considered to be close to Moscow, revoke their citizenship.
“And that on Orthodox Christmas!
This is pure Satanism," Zakharova raged on her Telegram channel, according to the state agency TASS.
Ramzan Kadyrov, who is loyal to Putin, has again accused Ukraine and NATO of "satanic" acts.
The US Institute for the Study of War recently analyzed that Russia wants to present itself as the “true protector” of the Christian faith.
The Orthodox Church is considered an important supporter of Putin.
Ukraine has also sanctioned Russian cultural workers.
One of the internationally best-known names in the decree published on Saturday is the Vienna-based opera singer Anna Netrebko, who has been criticized for being close to the Kremlin.
She and 118 other people - including three Ukrainian nationals - are to have their assets in Ukraine blocked.
Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry (archive photo).
© Maxim Shipenkov/dpa/EPA
Putin employee makes promises to Russia: "victory" and "beautiful life" for sure
In a telegram post, Kadyrov also tried to use reassuring words for the Russian people.
"Don't worry," he emphasized.
Kadyrov claimed Western aid was a "money laundering scheme" little of which was getting through to Ukraine.
Pictures of the Ukraine war: great horror and small moments of happiness
View photo gallery
The deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, made quite big promises.
"The goals set by the President with regard to the military special operation will be unconditionally fulfilled," he told journalists, according to Tass.
"Victory is certain, as is a normal and beautiful life," explained Kiriyenko.
Russia continues to describe its war of aggression as a “special military operation” – even though Vladimir Putin recently used the word “war”.
"God should judge" Ukraine, Kiriyenko said, referring to attacks during the Kremlin's "ceasefire".
Recently there have been increasing signs that the Russians are increasingly feeling the effects of the war.
A regional MP's vacation in Mexico provoked anger right up to the top of Putin's United Russia party.
At the same time, Ukraine is now apparently also attacking infrastructure targets in occupied areas.
(
fn/dpa
)