Kremlin chief Putin makes serious accusations against the West.
Meanwhile, the United States has criticized Germany's hesitant delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
The diplomacy ticker.
USA
tease Scholz in
tank
dispute
:
Ukraine needs Leopard and no US models
Kremlin chief
in
a TV interview
: Vladimir Putin railed against the West.
Serious
allegations from Lavrov spokeswoman
: Switzerland overturns neutrality for "neo-Nazis in Kiev".
This
news ticker
on
diplomacy
in the
Ukraine war
is continuously updated.
Update from February 27, 7:24 a.m .:
One year after Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD)’s “Zeitenwende” speech, the Union accused the federal government of not keeping its promises to modernize the Bundeswehr.
"The chancellor breaks his promises," said parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn (CDU) of the
Neue Westfälische (
Monday edition).
Of the special fund of 100 billion euros announced at the time for the Bundeswehr, "almost nothing has been planned" so far.
Even urgently needed ammunition had not been ordered.
The CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter also complained that the right words in Scholz's speech "were not translated into a political program".
Kiesewetter told the Augsburger Allgemeine
(Monday edition)
that the federal government had fallen far short of the expectations raised by Scholz in terms of both supporting Ukraine and equipping the Bundeswehr .
The Bundeswehr has "enormous deficits," he complained.
The turning point has “not even started for her yet”.
Because of arms deliveries to Ukraine: Medvedev stirs up fears of nuclear catastrophe
Update from February 27, 6:20 a.m .:
In an article in the Russian daily
Isvestia
, which is considered to be close to the government , Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, fueled fears of a nuclear war.
The reason is the arms deliveries from the West to Ukraine.
"Of course it is possible to continue arming the neo-fascist Kiev regime and to prevent any possibility of resuming negotiations," writes Medvedev.
The enemies are doing just that and are unwilling to understand that "their goals are obviously leading to a total fiasco.
A loss for everyone.
The collapse.
The Apocalypse.
Where past life can be forgotten for centuries until the smoke-filled debris no longer shines.”
+
In an article in the daily Isvestia, Dmitry Medvedev fueled fears of a nuclear catastrophe
© Ekaterina Shtukina / SNA / Imago Images
Joint exercise: USA, Germany and Poland plan joint maneuvers
Update from February 26, 10 p.m.:
The armed forces of the USA, Germany and Poland apparently want to hold joint maneuvers in Poland soon.
Although he does not want to confirm this at the moment, there are corresponding considerations, said Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) on Sunday evening in the ARD program "Report from Berlin".
That would be a "very clear" signal to the NATO alliance, but also to Russian President Vladimir Putin: "This NATO is by no means as weak as he thought," says Pistorius.
In addition, she is "much more united" than before the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
The Federal Minister of Defense also underlines the demands for an increase in the defense budget.
It will take another three years until the 100 billion special funds for the Bundeswehr have been spent.
"And after that it will be clear that we need more." That's why it's important "that the budget of the Ministry of Defense grows, grows significantly, because otherwise we won't be able to carry out the tasks that we haven't been able to carry out for 30 years".
USA tease Scholz in tank dispute: Ukraine needs Leopard and no US models
Update from February 26, 7:55 p.m .:
According to the White House, US President Joe Biden only approved the delivery of Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine due to pressure from Germany.
"He originally decided against sending them because his military said they weren't useful on the battlefield in this fight," Biden National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told ABC on Sunday.
On the other hand, German Leopard tanks are useful, the further delivery of which the federal government announced on Friday.
"But the Germans have told the President that they are not ready to send these leopards into battle (...) until the President agrees to send Abrams as well," Sullivan said.
In the interests of "alliance unity" and "to ensure Ukraine gets what it wants," Biden agreed to long-term supply of Abrams tanks -- although the Abrams are not what Ukraine needs right now.
However, the US government now has to order the Abrams tanks from industry, so they do not come from the military's own stocks.
It may therefore take a while before the tanks arrive in Ukraine.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to visit the White House on Friday.
Meanwhile, Ukraine recently reported on talks with Putin confidants in the Ukraine war.
+
Chancellor Olaf Scholz in front of a Leopard 2 main battle tank in October 2022.
© IMAGO/Björn Trotsky
Serious allegations from Lavrov spokeswoman: Switzerland overturns neutrality for "neo-Nazis in Kiev"
Update from February 26, 3:24 p.m .
: The Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accuses Switzerland of having given up its neutrality in order to support “Ukrainian neo-Nazis”.
According to the state news agency Tass, she wrote on Sunday (February 26) on Telegram.
As evidence for her allegations, the aide of Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cited, among other things, that Switzerland has joined the EU sanctions against Moscow, has supported Moldova and Ukraine financially, and has frozen Russian assets - such as those belonging to oligarchs.
Traditionally, Switzerland is alliance-neutral.
Ukraine news: Switzerland does not confiscate oligarch assets
There are international proposals for Switzerland to confiscate Russian assets and use them for Ukraine reconstruction.
However, a working group commissioned by the government has come to the conclusion that the expropriation of private assets of legal origin without compensation is not permissible under Swiss law.
At the same time, the government in Bern said it would continue to support Kiev and, among other things, was holding talks about the possibility of confiscating the currency reserves of the Russian central bank and other state assets.
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Picture from February 10: Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at a press conference in Moscow
© SNA/IMAGO
Ukraine up-to-date: Russian attack also a topic during Scholz' trip to India
Update from February 26, 2:51 p.m
.: The Ukraine war was also an issue in Olaf Scholz’s talks in India.
The violation of the principle of not using force to move borders must be clearly stated, the SPD politician said on Saturday (February 25) after a meeting with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Modi said his country's goal since the start of the Ukraine conflict has been "to resolve it through dialogue and diplomacy."
"India stands ready to contribute to any peace talks." India is heavily dependent on Russia for energy and armaments.
The country has not yet condemned Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Ukraine news: According to CIA director, China is considering supplying arms to Russia
Update from February 26, 1:55 p.m .
: Concerns about Beijing’s arms deliveries to Moscow are still driving the US government.
CIA chief Bill Burns says China is "considering" providing "deadly support" to Russia.
Similar to Burns, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously commented.
"We don't see that a final decision has been made yet, and we don't see any evidence of actual shipments of deadly equipment," Burns told CBS News in an interview that has now aired.
Such a delivery would be "risky and unwise".
Burns went on to say that he hopes Beijing will decide against it.
China recently presented a 12-point peace plan for Ukraine.
Ukraine rejected the paper, Moscow welcomed it.
The federal government with Chancellor Olaf Scholz reacted skeptically, as did experts.
Ukraine news: Selenskyj reaffirms his country's claim to Crimea
Update from February 26, 1:27 p.m .
: “This is our country.
These are our people.
This is our story”: With these words, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj confirmed his country's claim to Crimea.
With their repatriation, peace will also come to Ukraine, he said, according to a statement distributed on Sunday (February 26).
February 26 was declared by Zelenskyy in 2020 as the day of resistance against the Russian occupation of Crimea.
Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014.
Ukraine news: Kremlin chief Putin railed against the West on TV
Update from February 26, 11:37 a.m .
: On the sidelines of a patriotic concert, Kremlin chief Putin repeated an old accusation: that NATO member states were “involved” in the Ukraine war.
"They are sending weapons worth tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine," Putin told Rossiya-1 on February 23.
"This means that they are complicit, albeit indirectly, in the crimes of the Kiev regime." The conversation was broadcast this Sunday (February 26).
Putin said Western countries had "a single goal - the destruction of the former Soviet Union and its most important part, the Russian Federation".
Only then "may they accept us in the so-called family of civilized peoples, but only separately, each part separately."
In the interview, Putin also reiterated his call for a multipolar world.
He had "no doubt" that this would happen.
"What are we against?
Against the fact that this new world that is emerging is being built in the interests of only one country, the United States,” said the Russian President.
"Now that their attempts to reshape the world to their liking after the fall of the Soviet Union have led to this situation, we are compelled to respond."
Ukraine news: Left leader Wissler calls for the admission of Russian deserters
Update from February 26, 10:32 a.m .
: The left is still in favor of dissolving NATO, also in view of the Ukraine war.
"Our criticism of NATO is not obsolete because Russia is waging a war that violates international law," Left Party leader Janine Wissler told the
Funke
newspapers.
“We want to replace NATO with a collective security system.
That still applies.” Wissler countered the objection that without NATO Russian troops could already be in the Baltic States.
"My impression is not that Putin is about to attack the Baltic States.
His army was totally exhausted in Ukraine.”
Ukraine news: Left leader Wissler calls for a special program for Russian deserters
Wissler also called for a special program to take in Russian deserters in Germany.
"I am calling on Russian soldiers to refuse armed service," she said.
Such a special program "beyond the asylum procedure" would "affect the Russian army severely," argued the left leader.
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Left boss Janine Wissler
© Martin Schutt/dpa
First report from February 26
: Berlin – Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had announced a “turning point” three days after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
In his speech, he also announced a special fund of 100 billion euros to make the Bundeswehr, which had been saved over the years, fit for national and alliance defense again.
Ukraine news: Bundeswehr Association chief expects “war decade”
But the sluggish modernization of the Bundeswehr is causing concern for the head of the association, André Wüstner.
He expects the conflict with Russia could last another decade.
"It would be naïve to believe that the war will be over this year," Wüstner told
Bild am Sonntag (February 26 issue)
.
Wüstner believes that Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin will continue to try to destabilize Europe.
“We are experiencing a decade of war in Europe.
NATO and Germany must strategically align for a decade of threat.”
NATO enlargement: The growing defense alliance
NATO enlargement: The growing defense alliance
Ukraine news: Bundeswehr Association demands replacement for Leopard 2 tanks
Wüstner now said that he did not consider the Bundeswehr to be fully operational or ready to defend itself in its current state.
The Bundeswehr was not already at the beginning of the Ukraine war.
But the material deliveries to the Ukraine created further gaps.
None of the material delivered to Ukraine was replaced, said Wüstner.
For example, for the self-propelled howitzers handed over to Kiev, “not a single one” has been ordered for the Bundeswehr to date.
The 18 Leopard 2 main battle tanks that Germany will deliver to Ukraine "have to be reordered in the next few weeks," Wüstner demanded.
(frs with material from dpa and AFP)
List of rubrics: © IMAGO/Björn Trotsky