Scholz travels to Paris: meetings with Selenskyj and Macron planned

Zelenskyj visits London, a meeting with Sunak is planned.

Great Britain now wants to train fighter jet pilots for the Ukraine war.

News ticker.

• Great Britain

  wants to train

  fighter jet pilots

  : Ukraine should be able to defend itself.

• Zelenskyj

  visits

  London

  : Ukrainian President meets Sunak and British soldiers.

• Zelenskyy

  thanks

  Germany

  for assistance: the Ukrainian President turned to Berlin after a meeting with Defense Minister Pistorius.

• This

  news ticker

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  negotiations

  and

  diplomacy

  in the

  Ukraine war

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Update from February 8, 3:30 p.m .:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj in Paris on Wednesday evening.

This was confirmed by the Elysée Palace in Paris.

The conversation takes place after Zelenskyj's visit to London.

The Ukrainian President is expected to travel to Brussels afterwards to attend the EU summit.

Macron and Scholz visited Selenskyj together in Kyiv in June and promised him their support for EU candidate status.

For Selenskyj, it is the second trip abroad since the Russian attack on Ukraine a year ago.

The first took him to Poland and the USA.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olaf Scholz during a meeting in Kyiv.

(archive photo)

© Imago

Update from February 8, 3:25 p.m .:

During a speech in the British Parliament, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Britain for its support in the fight against the Russian war of aggression.

"London stood by Kiev's side from day one," Zelenskyy said in London on Wednesday.

He added that the country united all allies when it seemed absolutely impossible.

The President also explicitly thanked ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had traveled to Ukraine several times and had become a close partner of Zelenskyy.

The President also expressed his gratitude for the British arms deliveries and was confident about the outcome of the war: "We know: Freedom will win!

And we know that victory will change the world.

It will be a victory that the world has long needed.”

Ukraine-News: Russia is apparently falling into a deep budget hole

Update from February 8, 1:35 p.m .:

In view of Western sanctions and a deep budget hole, the Russian government says it is in talks with large companies about a one-off special tax.

"Yes, a voluntary, one-off fee from the business is under discussion," said Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Beloussow, according to the

.

Above all, large companies that had made high profits last year should make a contribution, said the 63-year-old.

"It's not a tax increase.

This is a kind of windfall tax (excess profit tax), as it is called in tax practice, a one-time tax collection,” emphasized Beloussow, who is considered an important economic expert of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.

Despite high oil and gas revenues, Russia ran a budget deficit of 3.3 trillion rubles (43 billion euros) last year.

Significantly greater losses are threatened this year.

Ukraine-News: Zelenskyy thanks Great Britain for support

Update from February 8, 12:54 p.m

.: Chancellor Olaf Scholz is currently making a government statement in the Bundestag.

The occasion is the upcoming EU summit in Brussels, but the chancellor will probably also comment on the Ukraine war.

You can read more in our news ticker on Scholz's government statement.

Update from February 8, 12:49 p.m .:

Selenskyj thanked Great Britain shortly after his arrival in London for the rapid support in the Russian war of aggression.

“The UK was one of the first countries to come to the aid of Ukraine.

And today I'm in London to personally thank the British people for their support and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his leadership," he wrote on online networks.

Update from February 8, 12:30 p.m .:

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak received Selenskyj in London.

"Welcome to the UK, President Zelenskyy," Sunak wrote on Twitter.

He shared a photo of himself in an intimate embrace with his Ukrainian guest.

Welcome to the UK, President @ZelenskyyUa.

🇬🇧🇺🇦 #SlavaUkraini pic.twitter.com/rMoBTC3ken

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) February 8, 2023

Ukraine-News: Zelenskyj is crowned by King Charles III.

receive

Update from February 8, 11:36 a.m .:

Selenskyj landed a few minutes ago with a military plane at London Airport.

The news channel ntv reports on this.

Accordingly, there is also a visit to Selenskyj in Buckingham Palace: King Charles III.

will also receive the Ukrainian President.

The Ukrainian President will take the opportunity to thank Great Britain for the military aid of around 2.5 billion euros that has been provided so far.

The British government provided more help in the Ukraine war than any other country and was the first to agree to supply modern western battle tanks.

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Ukrainian President Zelenskyy (left) after his arrival at London Airport with British Prime Minister Sunak.

© Imago

Update February 8, 10:03 a.m.

According to a report by

, British Prime Minister Sunak will expand training for Ukrainian soldiers to include fighter jet pilots and marines “to ensure Ukraine has a military capable of serving its interests to defend far into the future".

It should be possible for Ukrainian pilots to fly standard NATO fighter jets “in the future”.

It is said that another 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in Britain this year.

"President Zelenskyy's visit to the UK is a testament to the courage, determination and struggle of his country and a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries," Sunak said.

Ukraine News: Great Britain now wants to train fighter jet pilots

Update from February 8, 9:55 a.m .:

Great Britain will apparently train Ukrainian fighter jet pilots.

According to the British government, the plan to support Ukraine will be announced during Zelenskyy's visit to London on Wednesday.

Ukraine-News: Zelenskyy visits London - meetings with Sunak and British soldiers

Update from February 8, 9:42 a.m .:

According to the British government, Ukrainian President Selenskyj is expected in Great Britain today, Wednesday.

Zelenskyi will visit Ukrainian soldiers who are being trained by the British army, the British news agency PA reported, citing Downing Street.

As the government in London announced, a meeting between Zelensky and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and a speech to the British Parliament are also on the agenda.

It is Zelenskyy's second visit abroad since Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine began almost a year ago;

in December he was in Washington.

Ukraine news: Biden wants to help Ukraine 'as long as it is necessary'

Update from February 8, 6:12 a.m .:

US President Joe Biden has once again promised Ukraine long-term support in defending against the Russian war of aggression.

"We will stand by you as long as it is necessary," Biden said on Tuesday evening (local time) to the Ukrainians in his State of the Union address before both chambers of the US Congress.

The "brutal" attack on Ukraine ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin has tested America and the world, Biden said.

America and its partners stand up for democracy and fundamental values.

The United States led the international response to Russia's war.

“We united NATO and formed a global coalition.

We opposed Putin's aggression.

We stood by the Ukrainian people.” And the US continues to do so.

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US President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address.

Behind him, Vice President Kamala Harris applauds, next to him sits Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House.

© Jacquelyn Martin/AP POOL/dpa

US government sells multiple rocket launchers to Poland - armed forces are to be significantly expanded

Update from February 7, 10:45 p.m .:

The US government has approved the sale of Himars multiple rocket launchers and other weapons worth around 10 billion US dollars (9.3 billion euros) to Poland.

The US Congress was informed on Monday about the possible sale, the responsible authority said on Monday.

Poland had applied for the purchase of the extensive weapons package, which is said to include 18 Himars multiple rocket launchers, associated ammunition, 45 longer-range ATACMS rockets and other weapons and military equipment.

The NATO state of Poland also wants to significantly expand its armed forces as a result of the Russian war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine.

The US has also provided Ukraine with Himar-type multiple rocket launchers, allowing Kiev's troops to precisely target Russian positions far behind the front lines.

Selenskyj thanks Germany for assistance - meeting with Pistorius in Kyiv

Update from February 7, 9:40 p.m .:

After his meeting with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked him for the support from Berlin.

"I thank Germany and all our partners for their support," said Zelenskyj in his daily video address on Tuesday evening.

After his meeting with Zelenskyi, Pistorius met his Ukrainian colleague Oleksiy Reznikov and announced the delivery of more than 100 Leopard 1 main battle tanks - in addition to the 14 more modern Leopard 2 models already promised.

Update from February 7, 6.40 p.m

.: New information on the specific number of tanks delivered to Ukraine: Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands want to deliver Ukraine “at least 100 Leopard 1 tanks in the next few months”.

The first should arrive “in a few months”, according to a statement from the defense ministries of the three countries published on Tuesday evening.

The tanks are German-made - the federal government gave the industry permission to supply up to 178 units in total (see previous update).

New tank deliveries to Ukraine: Germany sends up to 178 Leopard 1-A5s

Update from February 7, 6:17 p.m .:

The Federal Ministry of Economics has approved the export of up to 178 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks to Ukraine.

This was announced jointly by the Economics and Defense Ministries on Tuesday in Berlin.

"How many Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks will actually be delivered to Ukraine depends on the necessary repair work," the statement said.

Update from February 7, 5:23 p.m .:

 According to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), Ukraine should receive more than 100 older Leopard 1A5 battle tanks from a group of several European countries.

At least three battalions should be equipped with it by the first or second quarter of 2024, the SPD politician said on Tuesday during a surprise visit to Kyiv.

Der Spiegel reports that 178 main battle tanks are to be delivered.

Pistorius' whereabouts were initially kept secret for security reasons.

As a spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said, the SPD politician met the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Reznikov posted a photo on Twitter showing him with Pistorius and a mock-up tank, writing, "The 'first' Leopard-2 has arrived in Kyiv."

BREAKING: The «first» Leopard 2 has arrived in Kyiv 🐆

There will be more of them.✊

Thank you to @Bundeskanzler my colleague Boris Pistorius and the German people.

The tank coalition is marching... to victory!

pic.twitter.com/4VY2YaovBi

— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) February 7, 2023

Update from February 7, 4:53 p.m .:

From the point of view of the Union faction in the Bundestag, the training of Ukrainian soldiers on German battle tanks is poorly prepared.

"We had to realize this week that obviously the training had not started either, that no prerequisites had been created at all," said CDU leader Friedrich Merz (CDU).

Group Vice Johann Wadephul (CDU) reported that practically everything is just beginning.

"And you should have started much earlier with that."

Since the end of January, Ukrainian soldiers have been being trained on the Marder infantry fighting vehicle in Munster, Lower Saxony.

It is unclear when crew training on Leopard 2 tanks will begin.

Ukraine News: Dobrindt warns against calls for a “war economy”

Update from February 7, 3:26 p.m .:

CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt has warned of calls for a “war economy” in Germany and Europe in view of the Ukraine war.

The term war economy is "simply too much war rhetoric and it sounds a lot like economic mobilization," said Dobrindt.

This would jeopardize the still high level of public support for supplying main battle tanks to Ukraine and strengthening the country's right to self-defense.

The CSU deputy and head of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber, had recently called for a reorganization of armaments production in the EU.

"We need - even if the term is not a simple one - a kind of war economy in the EU in order to be able to guarantee stability and security," he said.

Dobrindt also calls on Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) to personally comment on a controversial statement at the Council of Europe.

Baerbock said at the end of January: "We are fighting a war against Russia and not against each other." This had caused a stir and criticism.

"By the way, I don't think it's responsible that she hasn't personally commented on this so far," said Dobrindt.

For the highest diplomat in Germany in particular, it was "absolutely necessary to remain clear in the language here and not to provide fodder for propaganda and disinformation".

Ukraine-News: Putin's henchman Kadyrov with prognosis about the end of the war: "West will fall on its knees"

Update from February 7, 2:18 p.m .:

Putin friend and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has now apparently made an idiosyncratic prediction of how the Ukraine war will end: “The European countries will admit that they were wrong, the West will fall to its knees, and as usual, European countries will have to cooperate with the Russian Federation in all areas," Kadyrov is said to have said in an interview with a minister of the North Caucasus Republic Akhmed Dudyaev.

There will be no alternative to this.

The "special military operation", as the Ukraine war is called in Russia, will end this year, Kadyrov predicted.

The Russian state news agency Tass reports on Kadyrosv's statements.

Ukraine News: Kremlin warns of “unpredictable escalation”

Update from February 7, 12:55 p.m .:

Russia has once again sharply criticized western military aid for Ukraine and warned of an escalation.

The delivery of offensive weapons will only prolong the fighting, said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a meeting with officials from his ministry: "In fact, such steps draw the NATO countries into the conflict and can lead to an unforeseeable escalation."

Update from February 7, 12:39 p.m .:

The top of the Union faction still rejects the delivery of Western fighter jets from Germany to Ukraine.

Nothing can be ruled out in the medium term, said the parliamentary manager of the CDU/CSU MPs in the Bundestag, Thorsten Frei (CDU).

At the moment, however, he sees no need for deliveries of Tornados or Eurofighters to Kyiv.

Frei contradicted the Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk, who on Tuesday (February 7) again called on Germany to supply Ukraine with combat aircraft and support the Navy.

Ukraine News: Fake News as a "Kremlin weapon" - EU wants to arm itself better

Update from February 7, 12:12 p.m .:

In the fight against so-called fake news from countries like Russia, the EU is building a center for analysis and information exchange on disinformation.

Among other things, the EU wants to better understand how disinformation and war propaganda from third countries such as Russia or China are being spread in the EU, announced EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell at a conference in Brussels.

At the same time, a study on disinformation of Russian and Chinese origin on the Internet was presented.

Accordingly, Russia spread disinformation on social media, among other things, including through embassy user accounts.

It is "a weapon of the Kremlin" that harms democracies, Borrell explained.

The new center is a reaction to this and will better protect democracies.

Update from February 7, 12:03 p.m .:

The Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyj died in a helicopter crash three weeks ago.

Now Ihor Klymenko has been officially appointed as his successor.

According to media reports, a two-thirds majority in the Ukrainian parliament voted for the 50-year-old ex-police chief, who has been acting head of the ministry for the past few weeks.

Ukraine News: Victory by Air Force and Navy?

Melnyk takes responsibility for Germany

Update from February 7th, 8.44 a.m

.: Russia continues to mobilize and always delivers new equipment to the war zone, Andriy Melnyk has now warned in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”.

He called for Germany to take the lead in supplying fighter jets as well.

His country needs the fighter jets, said the Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister, and sooner or later everyone will realize that.

"We must consider the dimensions of this war." This war cannot only be won on the battlefield, but also in the air and by the navy.

For Ukraine, "we want to start peace talks".

But Russia is not ready, Melnyk accused Moscow.

Ukraine News: Kyiv wants to ask Suko in Munich for fighter jets

Update from February 7th, 6:59 a.m

.: It is the first Munich Security Conference (Siko) since the beginning of the Ukraine war.

The annual event brings together heads of state and government from all over the world to discuss global security problems.

The date is this year from February 17th to 19th.

Ukraine wants to ask for combat aircraft and long-range missiles, said Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Above all, aircraft are an open question that needs to be solved.

He recalled that last year President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked SIKO participants to supply arms to Ukraine.

Ukraine-News: Stark-Watzinger promises help for schools and universities in Kyiv

Update from February 6, 7:36 p.m .:

Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger promised Ukraine further support in the field of education during her visit to the capital Kiev.

"We see that the reconstruction of Ukraine does not start tomorrow, it started yesterday," said the FDP politician on Monday.

The minister particularly emphasized the vocational schools for the training of craftsmen.

"We want to work together here to train the specialists who will rebuild Ukraine," she emphasized.

Stark-Watzinger also assured a continuation of research cooperation, especially on energy topics such as "green hydrogen".

Surprise Zelenskyj trip to Brussels?

Ukraine President expected in the EU Parliament

Update from February 6, 5:49 p.m

.: The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is obviously considering a trip to Brussels.

Several employees of the European Parliament confirmed on Monday to the German Press Agency that there was a "probability of an extraordinary plenary session in the presence of the Ukrainian President" on Thursday.

On the same day, the heads of state and government of the EU countries will meet in Brussels for a summit.

It was said that Zelenskyy would then also attend the summit as a guest.

Initially, there was no confirmation from Kyiv that Zelenskyy might travel to Brussels.

For security reasons, there should only be a final confirmation shortly before.

Zelenskyy's first and only publicly known trip abroad after the start of the Russian war of aggression took the President to Washington shortly before Christmas.

Since then there has also been speculation about a visit to Brussels.

Update from February 6, 3:12 p.m

.: The Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill is a vehement supporter of the Russian head of state Vladimir Putin and also of the Russian attack on Ukraine.

According to Swiss media reports, Kirill worked in Geneva for the former Soviet foreign intelligence service, the KGB.

The activity was discovered during a stay in Switzerland in the 1970s, the newspapers

and

reported , citing the Swiss Federal Archives.

According to this, the file on Kirill, which was created by the federal police at the time and has since been released, confirms that he "belonged to the KGB".

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Moscow's Patriarch Kirill (archive image)

© IMAGO/Sergei Bobylev

Ukraine-News: "No Defense Personnel Changes This Week"

Update from February 6, 2:45 p.m

.: “There will be no personnel changes in the defense sector this week”, this telegram message was now sent by the parliamentary group leader of the presidential party Servant of the People, David Arachamija, and was thus referring to the speculation about Resnikov.

Arachamija did not explain why Resnikov should remain in office for the time being.

It was speculated that the presidential party would not find enough votes for the planned appointment of Reznikov as Minister for Strategic Industries.

First report from February 6

: Kiev - Ukraine has been repelling the Russian invasion for almost a year.

The financing of military spending depends to a large extent on Western funds.

The Eastern European country is considered one of the most corrupt countries in Europe.

Personnel changes in the Ukraine war: allegations against Resnikov

The fate of Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov may soon be clarified.

Resnikov had come under criticism after a series of scandals surrounding corruption and wasting money in his ministry.

A personnel change at the top of a ministry must be ordered by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj and approved by the Rada, the Ukrainian parliament.

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Recording from February 5: Oleksiy Reznikov at the press conference in Kyiv on the reports

© STR/NurPhoto/Imago

Kyiv strives to join the EU: Summit in the country despite the Ukraine war

Ukraine has officially been a candidate for EU membership since 2022 and is calling for rapid accession, if possible within the next two years.

At the first EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, emphasized that Ukraine had built an efficient anti-corruption system.

In every case uncovered by corruption investigators or journalists, immediate action would be taken.

A Year of Ukraine War: The Origins of the Conflict with Russia

A Year of Ukraine War: The Origins of the Conflict with Russia

Corruption in the Ukrainian army: resignations and dismissals

As a result of an alleged corruption scandal in the Ukrainian army, there was a wave of dismissals among deputy ministers and governors in Ukraine in January.

At the summit in Kyiv, there were no concrete commitments as to when Ukraine's EU accession negotiations would start.

Makeiev assured that Ukraine will meet all criteria, but expects more dynamism from the EU.

List of rubrics: © Imago