"Powerful weapon" for Ukraine - arms companies give the green light

Sweden supports Ukraine with new weapons.

The Kremlin warns the West, Zelenskyj criticizes Europe.

The news ticker.

• "Powerful weapons"

  for

  Ukraine

  : Sweden delivers the world's fastest howitzer

• Report

  on

  armaments

  companies: German companies could supply more than 100 battle tanks

• Reaction from Russia:

  Russia warns West against arms deliveries to Ukraine

• This 

  news ticker on diplomacy in the Ukraine war

   is constantly updated.

Update from January 19, 6:50 p.m .:

Great Britain wants to send 600 more Brimstone missiles to Ukraine to support the country in its fight against Russia.

This was announced by Defense Minister Ben Wallace on Thursday at the Estonian military base in Tapa.

He did not initially provide any further information on the time of delivery. 

Wallace took part in a meeting of defense ministers from several European countries in Tapa, which had been initiated by his Estonian colleague Hanno Pevkur and himself.

At the meeting at the military base, some 150 kilometers from the Russian border, the participants adopted a joint statement on military aid to Ukraine;

in addition to Wallace, others presented additional aid for Kyiv.

"What Ukraine needs most are heavy weapons to take the initiative and confront Russia," said host Pevkur.

Lithuania's Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas stressed that support for the Ukrainian armed forces must be unlimited and called for the supply of main battle tanks. 

"Powerful weapon" for Ukraine - arms companies give the green light

Update from January 19, 4:16 p.m

.: According to rumors about alleged doubles of Vladimir Putin, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj does not really believe that the Kremlin chief is still alive.

"I don't finally understand if he's alive," said Zelenskyj via video at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

He is not sure whether the 70-year-old shown on the screens is the real Putin.

It is also unclear who makes decisions in Russia at all, said the 44-year-old on the question of possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on peace.

The Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov once said that he believed there were several doubles of Putin.

In fact, Putin once said that he had been advised in the past to use a double at official meetings for security reasons.

"The idea came up, but I gave up on doubles," he said.

The Kremlin has now again rejected the doubts expressed by Kyiv about Putin's existence.

For Zelenskyy, the existence of Putin and Russia is a psychological problem, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The sooner Kyiv realizes that both Russia and Putin will stay in the future, the better for Ukraine.

Report on armaments companies: German companies could deliver more than 100 battle tanks

Update from January 19, 3:42 p.m

.: The German armaments industry is apparently preparing for the delivery of battle tanks – with concrete plans.

As the

now reports, it can provide more than 100 main battle tanks;

Bundeswehr inventories would not have to be touched.

The newspaper referred to industry circles.

The considerations concern the main battle tank Leopard 2 and its predecessor model Leopard 1 - but also the British main battle tank Challenger 1. These tanks could be refurbished and handed over to Kyiv, the newspaper quoted industry circles.

The Challenger 1 had not played a role in the debate so far.

Now it was said that the Rheinmetall Group could buy and upgrade a high double-digit number of these vehicles in the Sultanate of Oman.

Rheinmetall could re-equip 20 main battle tanks of the older Leopard 1 model this year and another 80 within 20 months.

The Flensburg armaments company FFG also offered to retrofit Leopard 1 for the Ukraine.

Switzerland does not rule out frozen Russian assets for Ukraine reconstruction

Update from January 19, 3:29 p.m

.: Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis does not rule out that frozen Russian assets will also be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

"Damage that is caused must be repaired by the aggressor," he told the Swiss broadcaster SRF on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

However, this must be done within a legal framework.

"At the moment there is no legal framework in Switzerland for collecting frozen funds." But the question is in "virtually all European" and other countries.

A coordinated approach is now extremely important.

"Powerful weapons" for Ukraine: Sweden delivers the world's fastest howitzer

Update from January 19, 2:19 p.m .:

Ukraine is receiving further support from the West.

Sweden wants to provide the country with the Archer artillery system.

The Swedish Armed Forces have been given the order to prepare the delivery of Archer, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced in Stockholm.

Tanks, drones, anti-aircraft defenses: weapons for Ukraine

Tanks, drones, anti-aircraft defenses: weapons for Ukraine

This is a high-precision system that can be moved quickly on wheels and fired quickly.

Archer is generally considered the fastest howitzer in the world.

The system, which Defense Secretary Pål Jonson called "perhaps the most advanced artillery system in the world," has long been high on Ukraine's wish list.

According to Economics Minister Ebba Busch, Ukraine will also receive up to 50 CV 90 (Stridsfordon 90) armored personnel carriers manufactured in Sweden, as well as NLAW anti-tank weapons.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Swedish government via Twitter for the "powerful weapons".

+

A Ukrainian soldier carries an NLAW anti-tank guided missile during an exercise February 15 as part of the Joint Forces Operation in Donetsk Oblast.

© Vadim Ghirda/dpa

Kremlin warns West against arms deliveries to Ukraine

Update from January 19, 1:20 p.m .:

The Kremlin has criticized the discussion in the West about the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine as very dangerous.

This is taking the conflict to "a qualitatively new level, which does not bode well from the point of view of global and pan-European security," warned Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

Just discussing the supply of weapons "allowing strikes against Russian territory is potentially highly dangerous," Peskov said.

The 55-year-old said that Ukraine already had such armaments that it was using to attack Russian territory.

Peskov specified that he meant the Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhia, which Russia annexed in the autumn.

Selenskyj's chancellery chief Yermak is pushing for tank deliveries

Update from January 19, 11:30 a.m.:

Ukraine continues to push for the delivery of tanks.

"The issue of tanks for Ukraine should be resolved as soon as possible," wrote Andriy Yermak on Telegram.

The head of the presidential office pointed out that this also applies to additional anti-aircraft systems.

"We don't have time, the world doesn't have that time either," emphasized the 51-year-old.

Hesitation costs Ukrainian lives.

Selenskyj criticizes hesitation in tank deliveries

Update from January 19, 10

a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has openly criticized the federal government for its hesitation in supplying battle tanks.

"There are times when you shouldn't hesitate and compare," said Zelenskyj on Thursday via video address in Davos.

He doesn't think it's the right strategy "if someone says: 'I will give tanks if someone else also gives tanks'".

Selenskyj was referring to reports on Wednesday that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) was only willing to deliver Leopard tanks if the United States also delivered Abrams-type main battle tanks.

According to a report in the

, US President Joe Biden has not yet made a commitment in a conversation with Scholz on Tuesday.

A senior Pentagon official said in Washington that the US is currently refusing to ship Abrams.

Ex-Merkel adviser demands delivery of battle tanks – Putin “unfortunately only understands the language of toughness”

Update from January 19, 6:50 a.m .:

The head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, has asked the federal government to take a leading role in the delivery of modern battle tanks to Ukraine.

"If you want to lead, that can't mean always doing the bare minimum last," said the former top diplomat at the dpa.

"We have to go ahead and actually take this lead."

The federal government plays a key role in the delivery of the Leopard-2, since the main battle tanks are produced in Germany.

That is why it has to authorize any transfer of these tanks, which 20 countries have.

Heusgen criticized that the necessary decisions had been delayed for too long.

"When we see the terrible suffering the Russians are causing in the occupied territories, then there is also a moral obligation when it comes to battle tanks," said the head of the Munich Security Conference.

Putin does not move an iota from his policy.

"And then you just have to say: Unfortunately, this man only understands the language of hardness."

The former advisor to Chancellor Merkel now hopes that a decision will be made at the meeting of dozens of defense ministers at the US air base in Ramstein.

According to media reports, Chancellor Scholz has now agreed to deliver battle tanks.

Ukraine war: Spain's head of government speaks out for negotiations with Putin

Update from January 18, 10:06 p.m

.: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has spoken out in favor of negotiations with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

"It is important that we maintain contact with Putin," Sánchez told US news channel CNN on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"For example, I strongly advocate that the French government and the German government (...) take the lead here."

A return to the so-called Normandy format is conceivable - a contact group made up of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine, as it existed before the outbreak of the war.

The foreign ministers of the four countries usually met for this purpose.

The other EU member states would support Paris and Berlin in such an initiative, said Sánchez.

When asked if Putin could interpret the West's willingness to talk as a "weakness," he replied: "No, I don't think so."

After a phone call with Biden, Scholz was probably ready to deliver Leopard – on one condition

Update from January 18, 8:40 p.m .:

Olaf Scholz is apparently ready to deliver Leopard 2 tanks.

All under one condition, as reported by the

.

According to this, Scholz called Joe Biden on the phone.

The Chancellor told the US President that he could only meet the demands for main battle tank deliveries if the USA in turn delivered “Abrams” type main battle tanks.

Biden apparently did not commit himself to the conversation.

According to "SZ", the United States is demanding that the Chancellery not only allow other states to supply Leopard 2 main battle tanks, but also supply them itself.

The federal government initially did not want to comment on the report on Thursday at the request of the AFP news agency.

Scholz has so far resisted the delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

The argument he used was that Germany shouldn't go it alone.

In the meantime, however, Poland and other EU and NATO countries want to supply their own Leopard tanks to the Ukraine and are pushing for the necessary approval from the manufacturer country Germany.

Tank pressure on Scholz grows: EU demands German delivery

Update from January 18, 6:15 p.m .:

The European Parliament is asking Chancellor Olaf Scholz to clear the way for the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine.

The Chancellor should "without further delay" initiate a consortium of countries that can provide such tanks, according to a motion by the Greens, which was approved by MPs in Strasbourg on Wednesday with a large majority.

Shortly before Ukraine's western allies discuss further arms deliveries in Ramstein in Rhineland-Palatinate on Friday, the pressure on Scholz to make a decision on this issue continues to increase.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, however, the Chancellor did not yet indicate any trend.

He again pointed out that Germany, together with Great Britain and after the USA, is already one of the largest arms suppliers to Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia.

"We will continue to be such a big supporter," he promised.

Germany will deliver weapons as long as it is necessary.

Even when asked, however, he avoided the word "Leopard 2 tank".

Selenskyj takes the whole world to task – "You mustn't hesitate again"

Update from January 18, 5:20 p.m

.: In these minutes, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

He begins his speech with a minute's silence for the victims of the war and commemorates his Minister of the Interior, who died in a helicopter crash today.

He then appealed to the world community for unconditional support of the war-torn country.

"The world must act faster than Russia," says Zelenskyj.

“The world hesitated when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

She must not hesitate again.” Zelenskyj describes Putin as “our common enemy” and says: “We will end this war.”

Update from January 18, 4:25 p.m .:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos on the Ukraine war and possible German tank deliveries.

Germany is "one of the biggest supporters" of Ukraine and will continue to support the country in the war against Russia.

In addition to "humanitarian and military aid", they want to do more.

The German government will continue to discuss the events of the Ukraine war in close consultation with France, the USA and Great Britain.

But you want to make sure that the conflict does not degenerate into a war between Russia and NATO, said Scholz.

Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Söder demands German tank deliveries

Update from January 18, 3 p.m.:

 Bavaria’s Prime Minister and CSU party leader Markus Söder has spoken out in favor of a delivery of German Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine.

“Germany has decided to supply weapons.

You can't really explain to me why one tank shouldn't be a problem, but another one should be," said Söder on Wednesday in Kloster Banz near Bad Staffelstein on the sidelines of the closed session of the CSU parliamentary group.

The 56-year-old did not rule out a third term there.

The Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine met at the US base in Ramstein on Friday to discuss aid for the country attacked by Russia.

The new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) will take part for the first time on behalf of the federal government.

Update from January 18, 1:40 p.m .:

Pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the weapons debate: The European Parliament has asked Germany to deliver Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine.

The MEPs approved a motion by the Greens with a large majority.

The EU institution demands from Scholz to “initiate a European consortium of relevant European countries to deliver Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine without further delay,” as the paper literally says.

The text was proposed by the German Green Party politician Reinhard Bütikofer.

The step is considered unusual - especially since the application was submitted by a member of the Greens involved in the federal government.

Arms delivery to Ukraine: Netherlands provides Patriot defense system

Update from January 18, 12:30 p.m .:

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has declared that a Patriot system will be sent to Ukraine.

Rutte said in a joint speech with US President Joe Biden in Washington that they "intended" to follow the US and Germany in deploying the missile defense system.

"I think it's important that we join that and I also discussed this with Olaf Scholz from Germany this morning," he said.

The US and Germany have each promised to supply the Patriot systems to Ukraine in recent weeks.

Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Lavrov describes Zelenskyj's peace plan as "ridiculous"

Update January 18, 11:30

a.m.: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that the plan proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a peaceful settlement of the war between Russia and Ukraine "is out of the question".

This is reported by the Russian state agency

.

"Zelenskyy put forward some absolutely ridiculous initiatives, a 10-point plan into which he squeezed everything he could: food security, energy security, biosecurity, withdrawal of Russian troops from everywhere, Russian Federation repentance, a tribunal, sentencing and... so on,” Lavrov is quoted as saying.

At the G20 summit in Bali, Zelenskyj proposed a corresponding negotiation plan.

For Moscow, however, talks under these circumstances have not yet been an issue.

Lavrov also blamed the United States for the Ukraine war.

Washington would prepare for a hybrid war against Russia.

The Russian foreign minister also compared the US actions with the actions of Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Negotiations in the Ukraine war: USA sends ammunition to Ukraine

Update from January 18, 10:40 a.m .:

According to a media report, the US Department of Defense wants to hand over ammunition stored in Israel to Ukraine.

As the

reported on Wednesday, the Pentagon is currently preparing to transfer arms to the country under Russian attack.

About half of the 300,000 artillery shells destined for Ukraine have already been shipped to Europe.

A spokesman for the Israeli military confirmed to the

that equipment stored in Israel was handed over to the US armed forces at the request of the United States a few weeks ago.

According to the information, Israel had previously expressed concerns.

The country feared that the supply of stocks to Ukraine could jeopardize relations with Russia.

According to the media report, the US arms reserves in Israel were set up in 1973 in the Yom Kippur War, which Egypt, Syria and other Arab countries waged against Israel.

The reserves served to supply US forces in the Middle East.

In addition, Israel was able to fall back on a part in an emergency, it said.

The US government has therefore promised to replenish the stocks.

Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Putin wants to give a speech

First report from January 18:

Moscow – The Ukraine war has been raging in Europe for almost eleven months.

There is still no end in sight.

According to estimates by the US Institute for War Studies (ISW), Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin could soon announce a second wave of mobilization, possibly even at the appearance in Saint Petersburg planned for today.

When and where Putin will give his speech is not yet known.

The think tank cites, among other things, Russian military bloggers.

Ukrainian and western secret services have also repeatedly warned of Putin's mobilization preparations for mid-January.

Putin could also use the opportunity to declare war on Ukraine, the latest ISW report said.

In Russia, the invasion is called "military special operation" in official parlance.

Public use of the term “war” is punishable under criminal law.

Russia demands UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine

Meanwhile, a Russian UN envoy announced that Moscow would respond harshly to criticism of its invasion of Ukraine and hold an informal meeting at the panel to lay out its stance.

In a Telegram post, Russia's top diplomat Dmitry Polyansky criticized UN members for taking an "anti-Russian" stance "once a month" during discussions about the Ukraine war.

Polyansky also wrote that on Friday (January 20) there will be a so-called "Arria Formula" meeting in the Security Council, which will deal with the shelling of Donbass in December.

"There will be interesting speakers and facts," said the diplomat.

Arria meetings are an informal and interactive format for meetings of members of the Security Council.

Ukraine War: Focus on Davos

Today, however, the focus is first on Davos, where this afternoon Chancellor Olaf Scholz (3.45 p.m.) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj (5 p.m.) will address the entrepreneurs and heads of state and government.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is expected to take part in a panel discussion.

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List of rubrics: © Vadim Ghirda/dpa