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The situation in the morning: Ukraine intermediaries that nobody needs

2023-02-01T04:53:42.449Z


Brazil's President Lula, Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump are serving as mediators in Eastern Europe. And: The Federal Constitutional Court allows the Berlin election – with reservations. This is the situation on Wednesday.


Today we are talking about Brazil's President Lula, Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump, who are serving as mediators in the Ukraine conflict, about the fight for US state finances - and about the House of Representatives elections in Berlin (subject to change).

Problematic would-be mediators

Many old leftists still can't really blame Russia for attacking Ukraine.

Apparently, this also applies to Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

During the visit of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Brazilian presented his view of things by hinting at Ukraine's complicity in the war.

There are always two sides to a conflict, Lula said.

And anyway, the reasons for the war are not clear.

As early as May 2022, in an interview with Time magazine, Lula said about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: "This guy is just as responsible for the war as Putin."

Lula announced that she wanted to start a joint attempt with China to mediate in the Ukraine war.

The question naturally arises as to whether the Ukrainians could do much with an intermediary like Lula.

In any case, his comments during the Scholz visit were probably of little help in this regard.

On the other hand, the Brazilian sounds very much like someone who listened to too much Radio Moscow in his youth.

By the way, there are currently other suggestions for intermediaries that nobody really needs.

Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu

would probably be willing to take on such a role if asked.

He told CNN.

However, with Netanyahu, of course, one immediately wonders how he of all people is supposed to pacify the Ukraine war if he doesn't manage to make a lasting peace with the Palestinians.

And then there's

former US President Donald Trump.

He proudly sent out a newspaper report to his supporters in which a Republican colleague praised him as a messenger of peace in Ukraine.

"Joe Biden should put Donald Trump in charge of negotiating a peace," suggested Congressman Troy Nehls.

"Donald Trump can do it." It's been a long time since they laughed so loudly in the White House.

  • Scholz on a tour of South America: The Chancellor and the bizarre moments in Brasília

You can find more news and background information on the war in Ukraine here:

  • Recent developments:

    The US is putting together the next military package for Ukraine.

    Zelenskyj expects "news" from the summit with the EU.

    Vice Chancellor Habeck is against fighter jet deliveries.

    The overview.

Billion dollar poker in the USA

A special meeting is taking place today in the US capital Washington:

President Joe Biden and the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy, want to discuss the American sovereign debt crisis together.

It is part of the ritual at such kick-off meetings that nothing will come of it at first.

Because the poker game for US government finances has only just started and will probably drag on until the summer.

By then at the latest, the US Congress must raise the so-called debt limit to prevent the US government from being unable to service its gigantic loans.

This also requires approval in the House of Representatives, in which Republicans have the majority.

Expect Joe Biden and McCarthy to just dance around each other this time, like two boxers opening a long fight.

By the way, a tip for the exit goes like this:

Biden will prevail in the end.

In other words, the debt limit will probably be raised and the massive cuts in the US budget demanded by McCarthy and other Republicans will not happen in this form.

The reason: McCarthy does not have a majority in his own ranks for any cuts in the military or in the social systems.

  • Dispute over debt limit: The radicals are gambling away America's credit 

Berliners are allowed to vote (subject to reservations)

It will be difficult for non-Berliners to understand, but Berliners really like Berlin.

This means that those who live there like the city despite its many quirks and weaknesses.

Or rather: precisely because of that.

Many Berliners will therefore stoically accept that the elections for the House of Representatives and the district assemblies will have to be repeated in just under two weeks, because so much went wrong in the last election.

In this context, the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court in the case is very fitting.

Although the judges are sitting in Karlsruhe, their provisional order corresponds to a certain Berlin sausageness.

Accordingly, the elections on February 12 can take place as planned.

Curious: Only then will the court decide in principle whether the elections could be repeated or not.

In other words, those who cast their votes on February 12 do so with reservations.

In theory, the court could still declare the re-election invalid afterwards.

Is that very likely?

Probably not.

The fact that the constitutional judges are now letting things slide suggests that they will in principle give their blessing to the election later in the coming week.

Anything else would be a catastrophe – for Berlin's reputation, but also for that of the Federal Constitutional Court.

  • Date on February 12: Federal Constitutional Court allows repeat elections in Berlin

Here's the current quiz of the day

The starting question today: What is the name of the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni?

Winner of the day...

…is the

jumbo, i.e. the Boeing 747

.

For more than five decades, the wide-bodied jet was the epitome of progress and unlimited freedom.

Since 1969, 1574 machines of this type have been produced.

Millions of people have (almost always) reliably flown around the world with the “queen of the skies”.

The last 747 jumbo ever built has left the Boeing facility in Everett, Washington.

This is all a bit sad for aviation fans, but ultimately good news.

The monster jets have become obsolete as a concept.

They gulp too much fuel per passenger, contribute to accelerating climate change and in the end have often remained unprofitable for airlines.

However, the jumbo age is not quite over yet: Some airlines will keep the 747 in their fleet for a few more years, including

Lufthansa

.

And a particularly important customer will soon receive two more machines: They are already finished, but will still be modified.

These are the new jets for the US President, which will then alternate as

"Air Force One"

.

The latest news from the night

  • Federal Network Agency sees electricity supply secured even if coal is phased out earlier:

    What would happen if coal were to end in 2030 throughout Germany?

    The Federal Network Agency is convinced: even with increasing consumption there would be no problems with the power supply.

  • Alec Baldwin apparently charged with manslaughter:

    After being shot dead while filming the film »Rust«, the actor Alec Baldwin will probably have to answer in court.

    Charges were also brought against the armorer.

  • Andrea Riseborough Retains Best Actress Oscar Nomination:

    Andrea Riseborough's surprise Oscar nomination caused turmoil and conjecture in Hollywood.

    Now the organizers have decided: the British actress stays in the running.

The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today

  • "The thesis of a shortage of skilled workers isn't entirely true":

    whether in restaurants, in hospitals or with heating installers: there is a shortage of staff everywhere in Germany.

    Labor economist Simon Jäger considers the complaints to be exaggerated – and proposes a simple solution.

  • How researchers substantiate the genocide accusation against Russia:

    Politicians are arguing about a possible criminal court for Russian aggression.

    Meanwhile, historians, political scientists and lawyers are collecting evidence for the criminal offense of genocide.

  • "There used to be a lot of life, now it's ruins":

    More than 40 percent of the Swiss ski areas no longer exist.

    In the heights, deserted mountain stations lie under snow.

    Daniel Anker from Bern explores these lost places.

I wish you a good start into the day.

Yours, Roland Nelles, US correspondent

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2023-02-01

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