today it's about the Russian celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, about the image problems of the ecological organization »Last Generation« and about falling inflation.
Russian self-assurance
The battle for the city of Stalingrad in the winter of 1942/43 is one of the most gruesome battles of the Second World War.
On the 80th anniversary of the slaughter between Russians and Germans, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is planning a large commemoration today at the site of the events in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad).
It should be a good opportunity for Putin and his spin doctors to once again draw absurd parallels between his country's historic defensive battle against Nazi Germany and the current conflict with Ukraine.
At the same time, it will be about self-assurance: the commemorations are supposed to help Russia retain its belief in its own invincibility.
Unfortunately, this time Russia is on the wrong side of history - and unlike in the Second World War, the fight for Ukraine is not certain whether there will be a happy ending for the country again.
Even the best propaganda can hardly cover up the fact that Putin urgently needs success in his war against Ukraine after numerous setbacks.
A major Russian offensive could therefore begin soon.
"Russia is preparing for maximum escalation,"
Ukraine's National Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov told Sky News.
He estimated the number of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine at around 320,000.
About half of them could take part in the new offensive.
It would be a gigantic force.
Meanwhile, US plans to hand over new long-range weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces are likely to cause nervousness in Moscow.
According to media reports, it is apparently planned to deliver so-called
Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB)
for the first time .
These systems can engage targets 150 kilometers away.
So far, the missiles delivered to Kyiv have only had a range of 80 kilometers.
With the new weapons, Kyiv could increasingly attack Russian supply routes.
A possible Russian offensive would quickly lose momentum.
No Stalingrad myth will help against that.
Aggressive war in Ukraine: How researchers substantiate the genocide accusation against Russia
You can find more news and background information on the war in Ukraine here:
Recent developments:
This month marks the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine - President Zelenskyj fears serious attacks.
And: The Wagner Group wants Russian politicians to be banned from traveling abroad.
The overview.
"We'll do it in two years":
Ukraine is fighting Putin's troops - and at the same time is getting ready for the big future project: Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal on EU accession, the fight against corruption and billions in aid for reconstruction.
New raids in the fight against corruption in Ukraine:
Kiev is pushing ahead with the fight against corruption.
Security officers searched the home of influential oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskiy.
For President Selenskyj, this is also a sign towards the EU.
That's what Pistorius says at the tank battalion in Augustdorf:
Germany will deliver 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks to the Ukraine.
Defense Minister Pistorius is now visiting the battalion that will hand over the tanks.
Watch his full-length statement in the video here.
The next embarrassment for Joe Biden
US President Joe Biden has had a pretty holiday home in the small town of Rehoboth Beach on the Atlantic for years.
His wife Jill is from there.
Rehoboth isn't Palm Beach, and the house isn't Mar-a-Lago either, but still.
In Germany one would say more Rügen than Sylt.
Now the FBI has searched the vacation home.
The investigators wanted to check whether there were any other lost secret papers from Biden's previous use as vice president.
Apparently they didn't find anything.
In the whole affair of incorrectly stored files, Biden still doesn't look good.
Above all, ex-President Donald Trump can be happy because his notorious hoarding of files in Mar-a-Lago suddenly doesn't seem so bad anymore.
He can say: Look, everyone is doing it.
But of course there is still a significant difference between the two cases: while Biden cooperated with the judicial authorities on the matter from the start - i.e. voluntarily handed over files that may have accidentally been stored in his private home - Trump refused for months to hand over such papers.
He and/or his lawyers may even have lied to the judiciary.
However, it is likely to be more difficult for the US Department of Justice to indict Trump for the whole story without also prosecuting the incumbent president in some way.
Then they'd probably leave it alone.
In the eyes of the public, the impression has long since prevailed that Biden and Trump somehow screwed up.
According to an ABC poll, 77 percent of voters believe Trump misbehaved.
With Biden it is at least 64 percent.
Ouch.
File affair of the US President: Investigators find no further secret documents on Biden in a new search
»Last generation« in Bali
The climate protection group »Last Generation« has a small image problem.
Two of their activists from Baden-Württemberg apparently skipped a court date and instead flew on vacation in Bali.
The two were supposed to appear before the judge because they had taken part in a street blockade by the "last generation" in the Stuttgart area.
Against Big Oil, PS limbers and such.
Above all, the fact that radical climate protectionists are flying thousands of (climate-damaging) miles is causing a stir.
There is much scorn and ridicule.
The CDU is already using the classic “preach water, drink wine”.
The climate activists from the "Bild" newspaper are also at the forefront of the shitstorm.
Line: »The mendacious world of climate stickers: Block our roads, but fly long distances.« The editors routinely do what they obviously like best: pillory individual people.
It is a scandal that is only possible in Germany.
The excuse that the “last generation” gave was also nice.
The people did not travel as climate activists, but as private individuals, it said.
An FDP press office could not have formulated this PR prose more elegantly.
Seriously, the process proves above all how complicated the climate debate becomes when it comes to personal lifestyle restrictions.
Air travel, especially to destinations like Bali, is still a nice thing for many people that they don't want to do without for their well-being.
The two vacationers from the “last generation” are obviously not climate-moral superhumans either.
Good to know.
You are forgiven.
Who is without climate sin, throw the first stone.
And if you look at the current winter weather in Germany, you have to be honest: there are really some good reasons for a nice trip to Bali.
Climate protests: The end of the world cannot be discussed
Here is the current quiz of the day
The starting question today: How high is the divorce rate in Germany?
Winner of the day...
... are all of us,
the so-called consumers.
Inflation appears to be slowly declining.
In any case, the rate of inflation in the euro zone fell more sharply than expected at the beginning of the year.
In January, consumer prices climbed by 8.5 percent within a year, according to an initial estimate from the statistics office Eurostat.
The inflation rate was 9.2 percent in December and reached a record high of 10.6 percent last October.
Today the heads of the European Central Bank (ECB) will meet to decide on another rate hike.
That will certainly come because the inflation rate is still too high.
But falling inflation shows that the direction is right.
So there is good news too.
The latest news from the night
FBI apparently investigating Republican George Santos:
It's about thousands of dollars that should have saved a sick dog.
A mega-prison for 40,000 people:
The government in El Salvador has presented a gigantic prison - a further step in its extremely tough fight against gangs.
"We're not the nation's trash cans":
In the cup game against FC Bayern, referee Deniz Aytekin dismissed Mainz coach Bo Svensson from the interior.
After the game, the referee found clear words.
The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today
First Lady:
The Laguna Deb Haaland raised her daughter alone, was temporarily homeless, dinged with homemade chilli salsa through reservations.
Today she is the first indigenous woman minister in the United States.
How much can she do?
What creates pressure to succeed with children:
My mother sacrificed a lamb to God because I finally made it to high school.
And my children?
Of course, they should also graduate from high school.
Why actually?
"If I follow my gut, it will only get bigger":
Hardly anyone knows as much about food and nutritional values as Tim Raue.
Nevertheless, the star chef struggles with his weight.
Why?
A talk about the drug sugar and burgers as rewards.
»50 square meters where I can do everything the way I want«:
Sarah Rieschl had to take a few detours before she was able to work in her dream job as a florist.
Now she has her own business.
Here she shares how she handles brides who walk into the store with Pinterest photos.
I wish you a good start into the day.
Yours, Roland Nelles, US correspondent
