Ukraine war: Putin is said to have threatened ex-Prime Minister Johnson - "Boris, I don't want to hurt you, but..."

British ex-Prime Minister Johnson reports on a conversation with Putin shortly before the start of the war.

There seems to be disagreement in the SPD over the delivery of fighter jets to Kyiv.

The news ticker.

• President Zelenskyy

  is

  confident

  : 2023 will be the year of victory

• Esken

  does not rule out

  fighter jets

  : Scholz warns of "outbidding competition" for weapons deliveries

• Russia

  on

  jet deliveries

  : "It's worth remembering Baerbock's remarks."

• This news ticker on war diplomacy is constantly updated.

Update from January 30, 7.48 a.m

.: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) reacted with incomprehension to the ongoing discussion about the delivery of combat aircraft to Ukraine.

"Everything has now been said about this, including me," said Scholz on Sunday during his visit to Chile.

"It is idiosyncratic that this debate is being held."

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Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) gives a press conference in the official residence of the Chilean President.

(January 29, 2023)

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance

With a view to the discussion about arms deliveries to Ukraine, Scholz again warned against a "bidding competition" in which "domestic political motives are in the foreground instead of supporting Ukraine".

With such an important topic, it must be "about factual issues, about rational considerations," emphasized the Chancellor at a joint press conference with Chilean President Gabriel Boric.

What is needed is a “serious debate in which what needs to be decided is decided”.

Shortly before the start of the Ukraine war: Putin is said to have threatened British ex-Prime Minister Johnson

Update from January 30, 6:16 a.m

.: According to British ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally threatened shortly before the start of the Ukraine war.

"He kind of threatened me at one point and said, 'Boris, I don't want to hurt you, but with a missile it would only take a minute' or something like that." Johnson said in a BBC documentary, according to the British PA news agency, which is scheduled to air on Monday.

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Vladimir Putin is said to have personally threatened Boris Johnson.

(archive image)

© Pippa Fowles/dpa

"Judging by the very relaxed tone and calmness he seemed to display, he must have been toying with my attempts to get him to negotiate," Johnson continued.

Like other Western leaders, the then prime minister had tried to steer Putin off course shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The statements are said to have been made.

President Zelenskyy is confident: 2023 will be the year of victory

Update from January 29, 10:45 p.m

.: Despite the currently difficult situation at the front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is confident of victory: “2023 must and will definitely be the year of our victory!” Zelenskyj wrote on Telegram on Sunday.

In his video speech every evening, he also conceded, with a view to the hard-fought east of his country: "The situation is very tough." In the Donetsk region, the cities of Bakhmut and Wuhledar in particular are still exposed to constant Russian shelling.

Despite high losses in their own ranks, the Russians did not reduce the intensity of their attacks there.

"Russia hopes to prolong the war and exhaust our forces," said Zelenskyy.

“So we must make time our weapon.

We need to accelerate events.” In particular, the speed of delivery of foreign military aid is a key factor in this war, the Ukrainian leader stressed.

He also insisted once again on further arms deliveries beyond the main battle tanks recently promised by the West.

Esken does not rule out fighter jets - Scholz warns of "outbidding competition" for weapons deliveries

First report from January 29, 7 p.m

.: Berlin – Germany delivers 14 Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine.

From Kiev's point of view, however, this should not be the end of it.

Ukraine repeatedly requested the delivery of fighter jets over the weekend.

What the Chancellor recently clearly denied is now no longer ruled out by his party leader.

SPD leader Saskia Esken can possibly imagine a delivery of fighter jets in the Ukraine war: When asked whether she would rule out the delivery of fighter jets, Esken said on Sunday in the ARD “Report from Berlin”: “It is very important on the fact that Germany and that NATO is not a party to the war", the government wants to avoid "for all future".

That is why the government is in very close coordination with the USA on these issues.

At the same time, it is important that Germany make it clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin with every decision "that we reject Russian aggression".

There was also no clear no to the delivery of submarines, as ex-ambassador Andriy Melnyk had demanded on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Olaf Scholz is more reserved.

The chancellor warned in an interview with the

before "entering into a constant bidding war when it comes to weapon systems".

He was referring to the demand to now also supply fighter jets to Ukraine.

He made similar statements in his government survey in the Bundestag.

I made it clear very early on that it was not about combat aircraft.

That hasn't changed at all - and nothing will change either.

Olaf Scholz on January 25 in the German Bundestag

Fighter jet deliveries: Defense Minister considers “that to be impossible”

Explosive: The new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, also SPD, put a clear stop to the delivery of fighter jets.

"I think that's out of the question," he told the

: "Combat aircraft are much more complex systems than main battle tanks and have a completely different range and firepower.

We would venture into dimensions that I would currently strongly warn against.” SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert also put the brakes on arms deliveries in the

interview.

And even the FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann - a vehement supporter of arms deliveries to Ukraine - said on RTL: "I don't see it with the planes, to say it directly."

Different statements were heard from Paris.

"We have to examine requests on a case-by-case basis and leave all doors open," said the chairman of the French National Assembly's defense committee, Thomas Gassilloud, according to the British

at a meeting in London.

"We'll see what happens next in the coming weeks because things are moving fast." Other Western countries like the Netherlands aren't ruling out jet delivery either.

Russia on jet deliveries: "It's worth remembering Baerbock's remarks"

Is the next NATO disagreement looming on the jet issue?

Russia is already mocking the current statements.

The West is sending "competing and quite demonstrative signals," said Duma deputy Leonid Slutsky.

He was a member of the Russian delegation that met with Ukraine last spring for peace talks.

The Russian news agency Tass also quoted the politician with statements about Germany.

Scholz promises that Germany is not interested in an escalation, while at the same time NATO officials speak of a "direct confrontation with Russia".

He probably meant Admiral Rob Bauer, the president of the NATO military committee.

He said on Sunday: "NATO is prepared for a direct confrontation with Russia."

Slutski also said: "It is worth remembering the statements made by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock about a 'war against Russia'." .” The Foreign Office later qualified Baerbock's statement and made it clear that supporting Ukraine in exercising its right to self-defense does not make Germany “a party to the conflict”.

List of rubrics: © Pippa Fowles/dpa