The West now wants to supply battle tanks to Ukraine.
According to the US, this should not lead to a strike by Putin against NATO.
News ticker on war diplomacy.
Dreaded
Putin strike
against
NATO
: USA allay fears
After commitment to
supply main battle tanks
to
Ukraine
: Zelenskyj demands planes and rockets
US
supplies Ukraine
with M1 Abrams main battle tank
: "Best tank in the world"
This
news ticker on diplomatic developments in the Ukraine war
is constantly updated.
Update from January 26, 7:59 a.m
.: In order to strengthen the Ukrainian troops, a European country also apparently wants to make cluster munitions available – and ask Germany for a delivery permit.
His country wants to deliver the controversial ammunition to Kyiv, said an official of the country, whose name was not given, according to the AFP news agency in Washington.
His government has already decided on the delivery and now wants to ask for Germany's approval for its participation in production.
He expressly wanted to remain anonymous and not have the name of his country mentioned.
Cluster munitions are banned internationally because they can indiscriminately kill or injure people.
Russia is accused of using cluster munitions in its war of aggression in Ukraine.
The representative of the European country said that cluster munitions have now been technically developed "and the collateral damage is no longer as great" as, for example, in the 1940s and 1950s.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine are among the 110 or so signatories to an international convention banning the use, transport, production and storage of cluster bombs.
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Defused cluster munitions (symbol image)
© Celestino Arce Lavin/Imago
Main battle tank deliveries: Pistorius wants to quickly close weapon gaps in the Bundeswehr
Update from January 26, 7.44 a.m
.: Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that the material for the Bundeswehr that was missing due to the delivery to Ukraine would be quickly replenished.
The SPD politician said in the latest edition of ARD's "Tagesthemen" that he may already be holding talks with the armaments industry in the coming week and admits: "We have accumulated a lot of replacement procurement deficits in recent years."
Dreaded Putin strike against NATO: USA allay fears
Update from January 26, 6:29 a.m
.: The US government currently sees no signs of a Russian attack on NATO territory.
"All I can tell you is that we have seen absolutely no indication that Mr. Putin has any intentions to attack NATO territory," National Security Council communications director John Kirby said on Wednesday (January 25).
Kirby answered a journalist's question as to how Putin could react to the promised battle tank deliveries to Ukraine - also with a view to NATO countries such as Poland.
After commitment to supply main battle tanks to Ukraine: Zelenskyj demands planes and rockets
Update from January 25, 10:54 p.m .:
A few hours after Germany and the USA had promised to supply main battle tanks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also asked his country’s western allies for long-range missiles and combat aircraft.
"The more support our heroes on the front lines get from the world, the faster the Russian aggression will end," said Zelenskyy in his nightly video speech after thanking him for the planned deliveries.
Selenskyj said he spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
It is important for Ukraine to also "start the delivery of long-range missiles".
Kyiv and its Western allies should also "expand our artillery cooperation" and allow "combat aircraft to be deployed."
Zelenskyi called on Kiev's western allies to deliver the promised tanks quickly and in sufficient quantities.
"It's now a matter of speed and quantity," said Zelenskyj, referring to the equipment to be delivered and the necessary training of soldiers.
Pictures of the Ukraine war: great horror and small moments of happiness
Pictures of the Ukraine war: great horror and small moments of happiness
UNESCO declares the Ukrainian port city of Odessa an endangered World Heritage Site
Update from January 25, 10:31 p.m .:
The UN cultural organization Unesco declared the old town of the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, which was shelled several times during the war, in an urgent procedure as an endangered world heritage site.
As Unesco announced in Paris on Wednesday, technical and financial aid could be used to ensure the preservation of the threatened old town.
Odessa is located in southern Ukraine and is considered a cultural metropolis.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed UNESCO's decision.
"This international step will help us protect our Odessa," he said in his daily video address on Wednesday evening.
"Ukraine and the world offer protection, Russia can offer nothing but terror and attacks." The Russian Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, criticized the decision on Wednesday evening because it was "politically motivated".
In addition, the decision was made "without taking into account the high standards of UNESCO".
Moscow argues that guns should be condemned in the Odessa port area instead.
"However, for some reason this is not mentioned."
The weapons stationed in the port are used to ward off Russian attacks.
Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, the city has been repeatedly attacked with rockets and cruise missiles.
Most recently, the energy infrastructure was severely damaged, but residential buildings were also hit.
Ukrainian authorities are trying to protect works of art on site or bring them to safety.
War in Ukraine: Portugal announces decision to supply main battle tanks
Update from January 25, 10:18 p.m .:
Several countries are concerned with the question of supporting the supply of main battle tanks to Ukraine.
Portugal's government also wants to decide "in the coming days" on the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine.
Defense Minister Helena Carreiras said on Wednesday, as reported by the
Lusa
news agency .
Before the government makes a decision, it must still be examined what impact the sale of such tanks would have on the country's own defense capabilities.
"But there is no doubt: Portugal will participate and help Ukraine to expand its capabilities in the field of Leopard 2 tanks," Carreiras said, according to Lusa.
Earlier, the Correio da Manhã newspaper reported that Portugal appears to be preparing four Leopard tanks.
However, the minister did not confirm this report.
The Portuguese Armed Forces have 37 Leopard 2A6s, which were bought used from the Netherlands from 2008.
Scholz defends main battle tank delivery to Ukraine - "Not a war party"
Update from January 25, 9:01 p.m.:
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is convinced that Germany has not become a party to the war even with the delivery of Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine.
"No, absolutely not," said the SPD politician on Wednesday evening in the ZDF program "What now, Mr. Scholz" to a corresponding question.
Scholz described the deliveries as a clear sign of solidarity with Ukraine and also as a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that his “imperialist war” would not be successful.
At the same time, one must always be careful not to become a party to the war.
"There must be no war between Russia and NATO," emphasized Scholz.
He will do anything for that.
Every night people watched TV hoping that the government and the chancellor would keep their cool.
"I can assure you:
CDU leader Friedrich Merz welcomed the federal government's decision to deliver battle tanks to Ukraine, but criticized the delay.
"The decision is correct," Merz said on Wednesday evening on the "ZDF special" program.
However, his party thought it was wrong that the Chancellor had hesitated for so long and "obviously had to let himself be pushed to make this decision".
The former parliamentary group leader of the left in the Bundestag, Sahra Wagenknecht, had sharply criticized the federal government's decision to deliver Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine before the broadcast of the program.
"I think that's extremely dangerous and I'm worried that decisions like this will escalate this war more and more.
You don't end a war with more and more weapons," Wagenknecht explained on the television channel phoenix, adding: "We're letting ourselves be drawn deeper and deeper into this war.
That is a totally wrong answer to this situation.”
The federal government apparently completely misjudges the risks.
"If you train soldiers, you are part of the war." The left-wing member of the Bundestag spoke out in favor of diplomatic initiatives and negotiations.
“We have a virtual stalemate on the battlefield.
Neither side can win, so there has to be pressure towards negotiations.”
Ukraine war: Norway and Finland also want to support the delivery of main battle tanks
Update from January 25, 7:46 p.m .:
Only a short time after Germany’s announcement of the delivery of main battle tanks, the United States initially announced a delivery.
Now Norway and Finland are following suit.
According to their own information, the countries will make a contribution to the supply of main battle tanks from Western countries to Ukraine.
Norway will send Leopard 2 tanks, said Norwegian Defense Minister Björn Arild Gram on Norwegian television on Wednesday.
His Finnish colleague Mikko Savola said in Helsinki that the country would "take part" in cooperation between Western countries.
He left open whether Finland would supply tanks from its own stock or whether it would only be involved in training Ukrainian soldiers.
“Norway and the government support the donation of main battle tanks to Ukraine.
Norway will take part,” said Norwegian Minister Gram.
He did not specify a number - only that it would be a type of the German Leopold 2 tank used by the Norwegian military.
On Tuesday evening, the Norwegian newspaper "Dagens Näringsliv" reported without naming sources that the army expects to be able to provide between four and eight of a total of 36 Leopard 2 main battle tanks in use.
US government supplies M1 Abrams main battle tank to Ukraine - "Best tank in the world"
Update from January 25, 7:04 p.m .:
Just a few hours after Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine, the US government also announced the delivery of 31 M1 Abrams main battle tanks.
This will allow Kyiv to better defend itself in the face of Russian war of aggression, a senior White House official said Wednesday.
The 31 tanks correspond to the equipment of a Ukrainian tank battalion.
The Ukrainian armed forces will soon be trained in the use and maintenance of the US tank.
However, it is still unclear when these will arrive in Ukraine, as the US government is ordering the tanks from the industry.
"We're talking months, not weeks," said a senior US government official.
The announcement of the same-day delivery as that from Berlin demonstrates that "the United States and Europe continue to work together to support Ukraine," she said.
Washington very much appreciates Germany's commitment to the Leopard tanks for Kyiv.
"It's really remarkable when you look back at the extraordinary changes in German security policy over the past twelve months," she said.
"Almost a year after the beginning of the war, this is an impressive signal of unity."
US government officials did not say what exact model of the M1 Abrams tank or associated ammunition Ukraine will receive.
In any case, the scope of delivery would also include armored recovery vehicles of the type M88.
It is about ensuring that the Ukrainian armed forces can use the tanks independently in the long term, it said.
The Abrams tanks are a technically complex weapon system, which is why they pose a greater challenge to Ukraine than some other systems.
"It's the best tank in the world, but it's also the most sophisticated," the senior US official said in a telephone briefing for reporters.
US to deliver 31 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine
Update from January 25, 6:08 p.m .:
The US government will deliver 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine to ward off the Russian war of aggression.
This will allow Ukraine to better defend itself, a senior White House official said Wednesday.
According to US information, however, "months" should pass before the US battle tanks are actually delivered.
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An M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank.
© Armin Weigel/dpa
Update from January 25, 4:35 p.m
.: “Refuel nicely”: Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis welcomed the planned Leopard 2 deliveries with this play on words.
His tweet included an icon with a stylized tank with the Ukraine flag.
Tank is the English word for tank.
The other Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also praised Berlin's decision on Twitter.
Russian Response to Leopard Delivery: Embassy Draws “Eastern Front” Comparison
Update from January 25, 3:14 p.m
.: The Russian embassy rumbles after the announcement of the traffic light coalition.
"Berlin's decision to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv is extremely dangerous because it takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation," Ambassador Sergei Nechayev said, according to a press release.
The step means "a definitive turning away from the Federal Republic of Germany's admission of historical responsibility towards our people for the terrible, non-statute-barred crimes of Nazism in the Great Patriotic War," said the 69-year-old.
Nechayev criticized that German tanks were being sent back to the “Eastern Front”, which meant the deaths not only of Russian soldiers but also of the civilian population.
Zelenskyy Responds to Leopard 2 Announcement: "Sincerely Grateful"
Update from January 25, 2:25 p.m
.: Volodymyr Selenskyj thanked Germany on Twitter for the announced Leopard deliveries.
The Ukrainian President wrote that he was "sincerely grateful" to Chancellor Scholz and all allies.
He found out about this "important and timely" decision through a phone call with the German Chancellor:
German main battle tanks, further broadening of defense support & training missions, green light for partners to supply similar weapons.
Just heard about these important & timely decisions in a call with @OlafScholz.
Sincerely grateful to the Chancellor and all our friends in 🇩🇪.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 25, 2023
Ready for action in three months: Berlin promises rapid delivery of 14 Leopard tanks
Update from January 25, 1:05 p.m
.: When will the first German Leopard tanks arrive in Ukraine?
In about three months, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) estimates.
The Bundeswehr will now "very quickly" start training Ukrainian soldiers on the tank and clarifying supply routes, Pistorius said after a meeting of the Bundestag Defense Committee.
Pistorius described the decision to deliver the main battle tanks as "historic because it was coordinated internationally and because it happened in a highly explosive situation in Ukraine".
The minister added: "This is an important game changer, possibly in this war or in this phase of the war." However, critics warn that the Leopard 2 is a misjudgment.
And what are other countries contributing?
A current overview of main battle tank deliveries.
Update from January 25, 12:48 p.m
.: In addition to the delivery of 14 Leopard main battle tanks, the training of the Ukrainian crews in Germany should “start quickly”.
The support package includes "in addition to training, logistics, ammunition and system maintenance," said Chancellor Scholz at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, according to his spokesman.
Germany delivers 14 Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine
Update from January 25, 11:41 a.m
.: What is the specific procedure with the Leopard 2 A6 deliveries?
According to a statement by the federal government, Germany will initially “quickly” provide a company with 14 vehicles.
They come from Bundeswehr stocks.
Other European partners would also hand over Leopard-2 tanks.
Russian Defense Ministry sees "red lines" crossed
Update from January 25, 10:19 a.m
.: The West has long since crossed “red lines”, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The United States has now openly declared that it wants to "defeat" Russia, according to the state news agency Tass.
"We can't help but face that truth."
The ministry was thus commenting on previous statements by Russian UN MP Dmitri Polyansky, who said that “not all red lines have been crossed yet”, although the West is now “de facto” involved in the Ukraine war.
Decision in the Leopard dispute: Berlin wants to deliver tanks to Kyiv
First report from January 25
: Munich – The discussions about the German Leopard tanks have lasted for several months.
On Tuesday evening (January 24) the long-awaited announcement from Ukraine finally came.
Berlin will supply the Ukrainian military with Leopard main battle tanks to help defend against Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin's war of aggression.
Leopard 2 delivery: Selenskyj expresses reluctance and sees "greater need"
Despite the good news for Kyiv, the Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy was cautious.
"Many efforts, words, promises," he said in a video address Tuesday night.
It is more important to see the reality.
“It's not about five or ten or fifteen tanks.
The need is greater,” he emphasized.
Ukraine tries every day to compensate for the lack of heavy battle tanks.
"And I thank each and every one of you who supports us," said Zelenskyj.
The discussions about the delivery of tanks must now lead to decisions "that really strengthen our defense against (Russian) terrorists," the president demanded.
Ukraine's allies had the required number of tanks.
"If we have the necessary weight in decisions, we will be happy to thank you for every single important decision," said Zelenskyy.
The former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany and Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk praised the decision as a historic “game changer” that “will go down in history”, even if it comes with a delay.
The fact that Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz apparently helped convince the USA to deliver Abrams tanks is even "a double tank boom", according to Melnyk.
According to US media, Washington is preparing itself for a delivery.
Ukraine News: Will the Leopard delivery have a negative impact on the Bundeswehr?
In Germany, in addition to praise for the decision, there are also voices of concern.
These revolve primarily around the consequences for the Bundeswehr.
According to the chairman of the Bundeswehr Association, André Wüstner, the readiness for use will be further weakened by the expected delivery.
The delivery was "good for Ukraine on the one hand, bad for the operational readiness of the Bundeswehr on the other hand," said Wüstner in the ZDF "Morgenmagazin".
One should not believe that the Ukraine war will be over in two or three months - and that the tanks already delivered and promised by Germany will not remain.
"In the last few months it has been said that we are only partially ready to defend - if at all," said Wüstner.
He added: "The truth is, since February we have continued to give away weapons equipment and ammunition.
We are still in free fall, we still have no turning point with regard to our own ability to defend ourselves. "
(bb / dpa)
Rubric list image: © Celestino Arce Lavin/Imago
