Aleksandr Skobov: Only military defeat in Ukraine will stop Putin from pursuing his larger goals Friday March 11th, 2022 at 10:42 AM | Shared Links Review
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Hitler goose-steps across the 'spineless leaders of democracy' towards his goal: 'Boss of the Universe.' The first 3 steps are labelled 'Rearmament,' 'Rhineland' and 'Danzig.' This prophetic cartoon by the British cartoonist David Low appeared in the Evening Standard newspaper in July 1936.
In proposing theses for an open letter condemning Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, Moscow commentator Aleksandr Skobov has stated in lapidary terms why the West must support the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people. The reason is simple: unless Putin is defeated in Ukraine, he will attack other countries, including those in the West.
Aleksandr Skobov
(Image: kasparov.ru)
It should be obvious to all, he argues, that “Putin wants to put on its knees not just Ukraine. He is seeking to put the entire civilized world on its knees. He wants to impose ‘a new world order’ without any legal limitations on the use of force … In this world no one will have any guarantees of freedom and security.”
“This is the very same ‘world order’ which Hitler sought to impose, and the threat to human civilization emanating from Putin at a minimum is no less than the threat which came from Hitler,” Skobov continues. And just as Hitler could not be stopped by appeasement or compromises, Putin cannot be stopped by those means either.
According to Skobov, “Putin will unceasingly move toward his goal; and attempts by NATO countries to avoid at any price a direct military clash with him will only lead to an increase in his appetites and a further raising of the stakes and further escalation.”
If the Free World watches without acting while Ukraine bleeds, “this will mark the moral and political collapse of the Western community and the affirmation of Putin’s ‘new world order.’”
Moreover, NATO will “sooner or later” be drawn into this conflict but just as with Hitler in the 1930s “in still worse conditions for itself.”
“Today,” Skobov continues, “only a military defeat in Ukraine can stop Putin,” To that end, the West must “move from a policy of sanctions to a policy of complete economic blockade of Russia, a complete diplomatic blockade of Russia and refuse to have any talks with Putin,” having accurately described him as “a new Hitler.”
At the same time, he argues, the West must “immediately provide Ukraine with large-scale aid in arms,” including anti-aircraft weapons, military jets, and volunteers, and “if these measures prove insufficient,” to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
Those who might sign this letter but live in Russia and are thus at risk of repression by the Kremlin should remember the brave seven who went into Red Square to protest against the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, Skobov, himself a former Soviet political prisoner, says. Those seven knew what risks they faced; but they took them anyway for a larger goal.
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support.Tags: Putin, Putinist fascism, Russia, Russia's confrontation with the West, Russian opposition, Russo-Ukrainian War (2014-present)
Putin has outlasted ‘cowardly and corrupt Western leaders,’ Skobov saysSince the beginning of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, it has been obvious to all but the blind and those who refuse to acknowledge what they in fact see that the Kremlin has used regular Russian military units in Ukraine and that Moscow is thus guilty of aggression under the…
In "International"
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Germany's Gerhard Schröder meets with Vladimir Putin over Ukraine — reports
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has long been a personal friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now, he may be attempting to mediate to end the war in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schröder have been close friends for decades
Gerhard Schröder, who was German Chancellor from 1998 to 2005, has had a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than two decades. Now the news portal Politico and the German mass-circulation Bild newspaper report he has traveled to Moscow and met with the Russian president on Thursday evening.
According to the German Press Agency, the trip was not coordinated with the German government, which is headed by Schröder's party, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD). SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil said he had received no information on such a trip, but said that in his view any attempt to stop the war was good.
It was only a few days ago that Soyeon Schröder-Kim, the current wife of former Chancellor Schröder, wrote on Instagram, "You can be sure that whatever my husband can do to help end the war, he will do."
On Thursday evening Schröder-Kim posted a photo showing her praying by a window overlooking St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.
Schröder's surprise trip is another twist in the recent tragic story surrounding the former chancellor.
Russia has been at war with Ukraine for 14 days. Two weeks in which the Social Democrat Schröder refused to distance himself from Putin and give up his lucrative supervisory board positions in the Russian gas industry.
Since the war began, the former chancellor spoke out publicly only once. Two days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Schröder took to LinkedIn to call on Russia to end the war as quickly as possible. However, the 77-year-old avoided holding Putin responsible. Instead, he wrote of "many mistakes" that had been made "on both sides."
Gazprom Chief Executive Officer Alexei Miller (l), Vladimir Putin, and former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder traveled to Vyborg for the inauguration of the Nord Stream Project in 2011
Schröder makes a lot of money in Russia
Schröder opposes the idea for tough sanctions and urged not to completely cut the "remaining political, economic and civil society ties that exist between Europe and Russia." He had already rejected sanctions after the annexation of Crimea, which he had, however, called illegal under international law in an interview in 2021.
Gerhard Schröder has never made a secret of the fact that he makes good money in Russia. Immediately after he lost the 2005 federal election to the center-right candidate Angela Merkel, he switched from politics to the Russian gas business. Sea. Schröder masterminded the Nord Stream project together with Putin while he was still chancellor. Then he became head of the supervisory board at the Russian state energy company Rosneft and chairman of the shareholders' committee of Nord Stream AG, which built and owns the two parallel gas pipelines connecting Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea.
Is Putin instrumentalizing Schröder?
About three weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gerhard Schröder was also nominated for the supervisory board of the Russian energy giant Gazprom. Roderich Kiesewetter (CDU), the chairman of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee, suspected Kremlin calculations behind Schröder's nomination. He said it was "to be seen as a move by Russia to divide the German government in its stance on stopping Nord Stream 2 as a potential sanction tool and thus to discredit Germany as a whole."
Critics saw it as a special way of saying thank you for the prospect of another lucrative supervisory board post whenSchröder then accused Ukraine of "saber-rattling"
In mid-February, when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in Moscow for talks with Putin, the Russian president praised Schröder as a "decent person" whose nomination to the Gazprom supervisory board he supported. The work of such an "independent expert" will only benefit cooperation with Germany, he said.
Gerhard Schröder and Vladimir Putin enjoyed a theater performance in Hannover together in 2004
Putin, the 'flawless democrat'
Schröder and Putin — this friendship has endured for more than two decades. It developed when Schröder was still chancellor and deepened despite mounting criticism of Putin's expansionist policies over the years.
In 2012, when Putin had himself re-elected Russian president and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) pointed to significant irregularities in the elections, the former chancellor defended his friend as a "flawless democrat." Two years later, Gerhard Schröder celebrated his 70th birthday with Putin in Moscow.
There are many in the SPD who have been skeptical about the friendship between Schröder and Putin for years. A skepticism that has given way to growing horror in recent weeks. Many of his old companions have tried to influence the former chancellor.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has called on Schröder to resign from all Russian firms.
SPD co-chairman Lars Klingbeil is particularly under pressure. He once began his political career as an employee in Schröder's constituency office in Hanover, and a personal friendship grew out of that collaboration. But after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Klingbeil wrote in a social media post, "You don't do business with an aggressor, with a warmonger like Putin. As a retired German chancellor, you never act completely privately. Especially not in a situation like the current one."
In early March, Klingbeil and SPD co-chair Saskia Esken, along with eight former SPD leaders, drafted an unequivocal letter. "Act and say clear words," wrote the comrades, who ultimately called on Schröder to make a public statement "unequivocally opposing President Putin's bellicose actions as well."
The letter went on to say: "The gaze of many people is directed at you. And you decide for yourself these days, dear Gerhard, whether you want to remain a respected Social Democrat in the future."
There was no response from Gerhard Schröder.
Gerhard Schröder's refusal to distance himself from Vladimir Putin has drawn protest in Germany
More and more rank-and-file SPD members have been calling for party expulsion for days, and some local chapters have already filed motions to that effect.
Many of Schröder's German business partners have already parted ways. Companies for which the former chancellor had worked as a consultant for years, and on whose supervisory boards or executive committees Schröder sat for years.
Few give a reason. Berlin project developer Gröner, on the other hand, is an exception: "Mr. Schröder's mandates by Russian companies and companies associated with the Russian state, whose business activities contribute extensively to the financing of the Russian state and its military actions, stand in the way of further cooperation with Mr. Schröder," reads a press release from the company.
The University of Göttingen is considering revoking Schröder's honorary doctorate. The German Soccer Association wants to revoke the honorary membership of the former chancellor, who is a soccer enthusiast, and the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund has already done so.
Can Schröder mediate on Ukraine?
Whether Schröder can really influence Putin is difficult to assess. The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, suggested Schröder as a mediator.
"He is one of the few here in Germany who may still have a direct line to Mr. Putin. There is no one who has such a thing in Germany and the other European countries," Melnyk told the mass-circulation Bild newspaper.
He knew nothing about the former chancellor's actual travel plans, Melnyk said Thursday. "I find it hard to imagine that my government asked Schröder to do this."
This article has been translated from German.
While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.
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This article was last updated at 14:58 UTC/GMT
'Putin’s idea of Blitzkrieg has failed' — former Ukraine president
Ukraine’s former president Petro Poroshenko has told DW that Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has been a failure.
"Today because of the Ukrainian army, because of our soldiers, because of the unity of Ukrainian people, Putin understands that his idea of Blitzkrieg has failed," Poroshenko said.
The former president told Russia to remove its forces from Ukraine and to stop killing Ukrainians.
"Please get out from Ukrainian soil. Please get out your troops. Please stop killing Ukrainians. And this is absolutely firm basis for negotiation," he added.
The former president emphasized that solidarity with allies was now vital and called for "support of Ukraine, not only by finance, not only by political means, but also in their defensive capabilities."
"Putin declared war not only to Ukraine, but the whole West. He declared war against Germany, against us, against Ukraine, against Europe," Poroshenko added.
ECB speeds up exit from bond purchase and warns of higher inflation
The European Central Bank raised its inflation projections and cut its growth outlook owing in large part to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
"The Russian invasion of Ukraine will negatively affect the euro area economy and has significantly increased uncertainty," ECB President Christine Lagarde said.
The bank now sees inflation at more than twice its 2% target this year, climbing to 5.1%, up from 3.2% previously. In 2023 and 2024, the ECB now projects inflation of 2.1% and 1.9%, respectively.
"Energy costs have risen further in recent weeks and there will be further pressure on some food and commodity prices owing to the war in Ukraine," Lagarde said.
The bank said it would accelerate its exit from bond purchases. The purchases aim to keep borrowing costs low for companies and promote business investment and hiring.
The ECB also said its first interest rate hike wouldn't immediately follow the end of asset purchases, as previously indicated.
Russia ban certain exports following Western sanctions
Russia has banned exports of more than 200 types of products and equipment until the end of the year.
"The list includes technological, communication and medical equipment, vehicles, agricultural machinery and electrical equipment, more than 200 types of goods in total," said an order signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Countries in the Eurasian Economic Union won't be affected by the export ban.
Separately, the government also banned the export of forestry and wood products to countries that have imposed sanctions against it over the conflict in Ukraine. In total, 48 countries are affected by this restriction, including EU states and the US.
Harris calls for war crimes probe, Duda says attacks resemble 'genocide'
US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday said there "absolutely" should be an international war crimes investigation of Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and the bombing of civilians, including a maternity hospital on Wednesday.
Speaking in the Polish capital of Warsaw, Harris expressed outrage over the bombing of the hospital and scenes of bloodied pregnant women being evacuated.
Standing alongside Harris, Polish President Andrzej Duda said, "It is obvious to us that in Ukraine Russians are committing war crimes."
"There are pregnant women, there are children, if you kill ordinary people you throw bombs, rockets, at housing estates, this is barbarism bearing the features of genocide," Duda added.
Harris also praised the Polish people for taking in hundreds of thousands of refugees since Russia invaded Ukraine two weeks ago.
"I've been watching or reading about the work of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and so I bring you thanks from the
American people," she said.
Harris also said the US is prepared to defend every inch of NATO territory, amid suggestions that the Baltic countries are next on Russian President Vladimir Putin's list of countries to attack.
Tui Group ends Russia branding deal
Tui terminated a deal allowing Russia's Alexei Mordashov to use its name after the billionaire was hit by EU sanctions.
Tui Russia was established in 2009 as a joint venture with Mordashov’s Severgroup to expand the travel company in Russia and Ukraine. The oligarch had invested in Europe’s largest holiday travel firm and joined its supervisory board, but was forced to step down last week after the EU sanctions were imposed.
Tui is just one of many companies suspending operations in Russia.
Scholz, Macron demand cease-fire in Putin call
In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron called for a halt to military action in Ukraine.
Macron and Scholz also told Putin on Thursday that any resolution to the war in Ukraine needed to come through negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, an official said.
Aid convoy for Mariupol turned back due to fighting
An aid convoy heading to the besieged city of Mariupol had to turn back on Thursday due to fighting, said the deputy prime minister of Ukraine, Iryna Vereshchuk.
The convoy was meant to bring in food and medicine and ferry evacuees out. The city's council said in an online post: "Bombs are hitting houses.”
A total of seven safe passages were expected on Thursday. President Zelenskyy said: "We'll pray we can get people out of Mariupol."
On Wednesday, the besieged city witnessed an airstrike that hit a maternity and children's hospital. Three people, including one child, have been killed, city officials said on Thursday.
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'A quite extraordinary lack of progress' in Russia-Ukraine talks
Lavrov does 'not believe' nuclear war will start
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he did not believe that Russia's standoff with the West over Ukraine would lead to nuclear war.
"I don't want to believe, and I do not believe, that a nuclear war could start," he told a news conference After meeting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Lavrov also dismissed the prospect of an attack on any Baltic nation, saying the suggestions from the West are "old hoaxes."
The Russian diplomat made no indication of any concessions to Kyiv, reiterating Russian demands that Ukraine be disarmed and accept neutral status. He also blamed the West for intensifying the conflict by arming Ukraine.
Thursday's meeting between the top diplomats was the first since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. There had been previous talks between officials in Belarus, and Lavrov said the door for negotiations had not closed.
"Today's meeting has confirmed that the Russian-Ukrainian format in Belarus has no alternative," he said.
Lavrov did not rule out a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss "specific" issues.
'No progress' toward cease-fire: Ukrainian foreign minister says
Ukraine and Russia made "no progress" towards agreeing on a 24-hour cease-fire after talks in Turkey, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"It seems that there are other decision-makers for this matter in Russia," Dmytro Kuleba said, in a thinly veiled reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting the decision was out of Moscow Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's hands.
Kuleba described his meeting with Lavrov in Antalya as "difficult" and accused his opposite number of bringing "traditional narratives" to the table.
"I want to repeat that Ukraine has not surrendered, does not surrender, and will not surrender," Kuleba said.
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Dmytro Kuleba: 'We are ready to seek balanced diplomatic solutions'
YouTube, Google Play halt payment-based services in Russia
Alphabet Inc., which owns YouTube and Google Play store, announced it is suspending all payment-based services in Russia.
The move comes as Western sanctions heighten and a mass exodus of companies leave Russia, posing banking challenges in the countries.
Recently, Google and YouTube had already halted selling online advertisements in Russia, following similar steps by Twitter and Snapchat.
YouTube said in a statement on Thursday: "As a follow-up, we're now extending this pause to all our monetization features, including YouTube Premium, Channel Memberships, Super Chat and Merchandise, for viewers in Russia.”
Content creators will still be able to monetize from their channel, but only from viewers outside of Russia. Free apps on Google Play continue to be accessible.
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Ukraine accuses Russia of bombing children's hospital
Ukraine requests more weapons from Berlin
The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany said he hopes for a "very concrete commitment" from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to provide more weapons to his country.
"I will meet the defense minister today, and I hope that we will get a very concrete commitment," Andriy Melnyk told German broadcaster ZDF on Thursday.
In a previous interview with the German DPA news agency, Melnyk referred to air defense systems, and anti-drone firearms, among other weapons.
Melnyk also called for a cease-fire.
"Because up to two weeks today this perfidious, barbaric war has been going on, especially targeting civilians," he added.
Belarus moves to ensure power to Chernobyl
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has instructed specialists to ensure power supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, according to the BelTA news agency.
Ukraine had feared a possible radiation leak at Chernobyl amid the ongoing war, but the UN's nuclear watchdog said it saw "no critical impact on security."
Meanwhile, Lukashenko told his Defense Ministry on Thursday that the Belarusian army must prevent any attack on Russian forces "from the rear," BelTA reported.
Ahead of its February 24 invasion of Ukraine, Russia used its ally Belarus to practice military drills.
UK adds Abramovich to sanctions list
Britain has placed asset freezes on Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich and Igor Sechin, the chief executive of oil group Rosneft, plus five other Russians.
The UK said the seven oligarchs were added to the sanctions list because of their affiliations to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The seven figures had a collective net worth of £15 billion (€17.87 billion, $19.74 billion).
"There can be no safe havens for those who have supported Putin’s vicious assault on Ukraine," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
"Today’s sanctions are the latest step in the UK’s unwavering support for the Ukrainian people. We will be ruthless in pursuing those who enable the killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of sovereign allies."
In addition to Abramovich and Sechin, the others affected were Oleg Deripaska, who has stakes in En+ Group, Dmitri Lebedev, chairman of Bank Rossiya, Alexei Miller, the chief executive of energy company Gazprom, and Nikolai Tokarev, the president of the Russia state-owned pipeline company Transneft.
Mykolaiv 'still under our control,' governor says
Mykolaiv, a strategic city close to the southern port in Odesa, has been under intense fire by Russian forces. But Mykolaiv is "still under our control and we have moved forward," the city's governor, Vitaliy Kim, told DW.
On his take on whether the war will end soon, he said: "The enemy is very exhausted. He has no motivation. We need more power and more vehicles to attack, that's all."
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Mykolaiv governor: 'The enemy is very exhausted'
Top Russia, Ukraine diplomats meet for first time since invasion
Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers have arrived in Turkey for face-to-face talks. It is the first time the top diplomats have met since Russia invaded its neighbor on February 24.
Officials from Kyiv and Moscow have previously held talks in Belarus but the meeting between Dmytro Kuleba and Sergey Lavrov in Antalya represents the first time Russia has sent a minister for discussions on the conflict.
Ukraine EU membership 'will take time'
Ukraine joining the European Union is not an imminent prospect, according to French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune, as EU leaders gathered in Versailles to discuss the Russian invasion of its neighbor.
"It will take time," Beaune said, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plea for Ukraine to be given a fast-tracked membership of the bloc came on the sixth day of the invasion.
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McDonald's temporarily closes restaurants in Russia
More than 10,000 Ukrainians flee overnight
More than 10,000 people were evacuated from villages and cities around Kyiv overnight, local media reported.
In addition to areas around Kyiv, evacuees were also leaving along routes in Sumy, and Enerhodar.
On Wednesday, Poland has in total received 1.43 million people from Ukraine since Russia's invasion began, Polish Border Guards said on Thursday.
The number of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine reached over 2.3 million on Thursday, according to the UN.
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UN: Number of Ukrainian refugees reaches 2.2 million
Russia pulls out of Council of Europe
Russia will no longer take part in the Council of Europe, the Russian state-owned TASS news agency quoted Moscow's Foreign Ministry as saying on Thursday.
The Foreign Ministry said the NATO alliance and EU countries were undermining the European body designed to uphold human rights, rule of law and democracy.
Ukrainian Paralympic athletes call for peace with raised fists
Ukrainian athletes and officials made an appeal for peace at the Beijing Winter Paralympics on Thursday.
As part of their plea, they unfurled a banner, held a minute's silence and called for an end to the war.
Led by national Paralympic Committee President Valerii Sushkevych, the entire 20-member delegation held up a "peace for all" banner with clenched fists held aloft.
"This one minute is about the thousands of people, including children and others with disabilities, back in Ukraine," said Sushkevych. "If mankind is civilized, then this war must be stopped. People, women and children deserve to live, not die."
Head coach Andriy Nesterenko said: "The Russians have bombed many hospitals and schools ... we need your support today, not later. People who attack civilian areas cannot be human ... we kindly ask for a safe sky over Ukraine."
Ukraine's athletes at the Beijing Paralympics appealed for peace
WHO: 18 medical facilities attacked since invasion
The World Health Organization has confirmed 18 attacks on medical facilities since the Russian invasion began on February 24.
The confirmation comes after Ukraine accused Russia of bombing a children's hospital on Wednesday.
Russia denies bombing children's Mariupol hospital
Russia called a Ukrainian claim that it bombed a children's hospital in Mariupol was "fake news."
Moscow claimed the building was a former maternity hospital that had long been taken over by troops.
"That's how fake news is born," Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said on Twitter, adding that Moscow warned Monday that the hospital was a military object.
"We will definitely ask our military, because you and I don't have clear information about what happened there," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a briefing. "And the military are very likely to provide some information."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of carrying out genocide after Ukrainian officials said Russian aircraft bombed the children's hospital on Wednesday.
At least three people, including a girl, were killed in the attack, local officials said on Thursday.
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Ukraine says Russian attack hit children's hospital: DW's Nick Connolly
EU leaders to discuss Ukraine at Versailles Palace
EU leaders will meet at the Versailles Palace in France on Thursday in a crisis summit over the war in Ukraine.
"Russia's war of aggression constitutes a tectonic shift in European history," a draft of the meeting's final declaration said.
Leaders will discuss "how the EU can live up to its responsibilities in this new reality, protecting our citizens, values, democracies, and our European model."
Diplomats said that they would discuss ways to boost Europe's self-reliance, especially in the field of energy. The EU imports about 40% of its natural gas from Russia.
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Russian gas crisis comes at a cost to German town
US House approves $13.6 billion Ukraine aid bill
The US House of Representatives has approved a $13.6 billion (€12.3 billion) aid bill for Ukraine and European allies.
The bill will also fund the US federal government through September 30.
The part of the bill related to Ukraine included $6.5 billion for sending US troops and weapons to eastern Europe and equipping NATO allies there and another $6.8 billion to care for refugees and provide economic aid to allies.
Carlsberg halts production and sales in Russia
Danish brewer Carlsberg said it was halting production and sales in Russia.
Carlsberg is the world's fourth-largest beer producer.
Last week, Carlsberg announced that it would halt new investments and exports into Russia.
Carlsberg is a majority owner of St. Petersburg-based Baltika Breweries. Baltika Breweries will continue to operate but as a separate business.
Sony halts Playstation operations in Russia
Sony announced on Thursday that it would suspend all software and hardware shipments and operations of the PlayStation store in Russia.
Sony said that it would donate $2 million (€1.8 million) to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) and the NGO Save the Children.
Zelenskyy: At least 35,000 civilians evacuated
At least 35,000 civilians were evacuated from Ukrainian cities on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily video address.
Zelenskyy said three humanitarian corridors had allowed residents to leave the northeastern city of Sumy, the southeastern city of Enerhodar and areas around the capital Kyiv.
He said he hoped more routes would continue on Thursday with routes set to open for evacuation from the southeastern cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha and the eastern city of Izium.
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Refugees from Ukraine: How are Germans reacting?
Rio Tinto reportedly to end commercial relationships with Russian businesses
Reuters reported on Thursday that mining giant Rio Tinto would end all commercial relations with Russian businesses.
"Rio Tinto is in the process of terminating all commercial relationships it has with any Russian business," a spokesperson told the news agency.
German government to help Ukrainian artists
The German federal and state governments are planning to help Ukrainian artists, Federal Culture Commissioner Claudia Roth said after a meeting with state ministers.
"We have already launched a reception program," Roth said.
Roth added that €1 million ($1.1 million) had been set aside for this purpose.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Europe of conducting a "witch hunt" against Russian artists.
Zelenskyy calls for tougher Western sanctions after Mariupol airstrike
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy called on the West to strengthen sanctions on Russia in his daily video address after an airstrike on a maternity hospital in Mariupol.
"A genocide of Ukrainians is taking place," Zelenskyy said. He described the strike on the hospital as a "war crime."
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Zelenskyy accuses Russia of genocide in hospital bombing
Zelenskyy said 17 people were injured in the attack on the maternity hospital, including pregnant women. He added that people, including children, were trapped under rubble following the strike.
Mariupol has been blockaded by Russian troops for nine days. Zelenskyy said that this siege was "beyond an atrocity."
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Ukraine accuses Russia of bombing children's hospital
Summary of events in Ukraine-Russia crisis on Wednesday
The International Monetary Fund greenlit $1.4 million (€1.26 million) in emergency support to help Ukraine deal with its "massive humanitarian and economic crisis."
Germany's conservative Christian parties (CDU/CSU) called on the federal government to stop Russian gas imports via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also dismissed the idea of sending Polish jets to Ukraine via a US base in Germany.
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Scholz: Germany won't send fighter jets to Ukraine
Russia's Defense Ministry acknowledged that conscripts were sent into Ukraine despite prior repeated denials by President Vladimir Putin.
The ministry said it was launching an investigation to punish those who allegedly disobeyed orders not to use conscripts, and that "practically all [conscripts] have been pulled out to Russia."
Russia and Ukraine announced export shifts amid the crisis. Observers said that disruptions to Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports could be devastating to North African and Middle Eastern countries that are highly dependent on both suppliers.
Ukrainian officials accused Russia of bombing a children's hospital and maternity ward in the southeastern port city of Mariupol.
A Mariupol official later said that the city was "on the verge of death" as there was still no humanitarian corridor for residents to evacuate.
The White House warned that Russia may use chemical or biological weapons as part of a "false flag" attack on Ukraine.
jsi, sdi/wd (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed the West Wednesday in response to the latest delay in getting fresh fighter jets to Ukrainian pilots.
The latest twist in the weeks-long saga of approximately two dozen Polish MiGs came Tuesday, when Pentagon officials shot down Warsaw’s plan to transfer the Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine via a US airbase in Germany.
The United States has been vocal about the need to supply weapons to Ukraine, but the prospect of flying combat aircraft from NATO territory into the war zone “raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
Zelensky panned Washington’s concerns as “a technical issue” in his Wednesday address to the Ukrainian people.
“Listen, we have a war,” he said. “We do not have time for all this signaling. This is not ping pong, this is about human lives.”
Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with The Post’s live coverage.
“Solve it faster,” he urged Western officials. “Do not shift the responsibility — send us planes.”
Zelensky again called on NATO governments to “close the sky” over Ukraine by imposing a no-fly zone.
“Russia uses missiles, aircraft, and helicopters against us, against civilians, against our cities, against our infrastructure,” he said. “If you do not close the sky, you will also be responsible for this catastrophe.”
Zelensky also said Wednesday that Ukrainian ground forces had been able to effectively resupply using captured and abandoned Russian hardware.
“Our military and territorial defense units managed to replenish their arsenal due to the many pieces of equipment they took on the battlefield,” Zelensky said. “Enemy tanks, armored vehicles and ammunition will now work for our defense.”
“What could be more humiliating for the invaders?” he added. “We will beat the enemy with his own weapons.”
“Russian soldiers, you still have a chance to survive,” he added. “Almost two weeks of resistance have shown you that we will not give up, because this is our home. These are our families and children. You can still be saved if you just leave.”
The Ukrainian president confirmed that a humanitarian corridor for the safe passage of civilians had been established between Sumy, near the Russian border, and Poltava, 100 miles to the south. He said 1,600 students and 3,500 residents had been safely evacuated from Sumy as a result.
Zelensky also said that a team of Ukrainian negotiators had recently returned from Belarus, where talks with Moscow were being held. The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to meet Thursday for talks in the Turkish resort city of Antalya.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday said he did not support a proposal from Poland to deliver Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Speaking at a press conference in Berlin alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Scholz said Germany had already sent defensive weapons and "significant" financial support and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
"Apart from that, we have to think very carefully about what we are doing, and this certainly does not include fighter jets," the chancellor said.
Trudeau said Canada will continue to send equipment and weapons to Ukraine by working alongside its partners.
"We want to de-escalate the conflict, we want to see an end to this conflict," he said.
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Scholz: Germany won't send fighter jets to Ukraine
What was the Polish proposal?
On Tuesday, Poland had outlined a plan to take its 28 MiG-29 fighters, which would be familiar to Ukrainian pilots, to the US air base in Germany.
The expectation was that the aircraft would eventually be handed over to the Ukrainian air force.
The US would, in return, then have supplied Poland with US-made jets that had the "corresponding capabilities," such as the F-16s that are already a mainstay of the Polish air force.
However, the Poles hadn't first cleared that idea with the Biden administration, and the idea was quickly dismissed by the Pentagon.
On Wednesday, Poland appeared to walk back the proposal, with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki saying a decision to provide Polish fighter jets to Ukraine needed to be made jointly by NATO members.
"We did not agree to supply planes by ourselves because it must be the decision of the whole of NATO," Morawiecki said during a press conference on Polish television.
"The USA does not want these planes to come to Ukraine from American bases," the Polish presidency's foreign affairs adviser, Jakub Kumoch, told public broadcaster TVP Info.
"Poland is ready to act, but only within the framework of the alliance, within the framework of NATO," he added.
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Ukraine: Russian onslaught likely to get worse
Why is the West wary?
While the gift of MiG-29s would be a morale booster for Ukrainians, it would also risk the possibility of the war spreading beyond the country.
Russia has already warned other nations and parties not to get involved in the conflict. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Poland's offer of fighter jets was "highly undesirable and a potentially dangerous scenario."
Questions also remain over whether the planes would be enough to influence the course of fighting in Ukraine. The number of aircraft is relatively small and the MiG-29s also are inferior to more sophisticated Russian planes. They could possibly easily be targeted by Russian pilots and Russian missiles.
What is the Ukrainian position?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday denounced what he called the West's unkept "promises" to protect Ukraine from Russian attacks. He said assurances received so far have not been fulfilled.
Zelenskyy said on Wednesday the international community would be responsible for a mass "humanitarian catastrophe" if it did not agree a no-fly zone to protect his country.
"When will there be a decision? Look, we're at war!" Zelenskyy said in a video on his Telegram channel. "We ask you again to decide as soon as possible. Send us planes."
Establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something also sought by Zelenskyy, has been rejected by Washington and NATO.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened "colossal and catastrophic consequences" for Europe and the wider world, should a no-fly zone be implemented.
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Berlin welcomes thousands of refugees from Ukraine
US vice president pays a visit
US Vice President Kamala Harris is traveling to Poland on Wednesday for what was planned to be a chance to thank Warsaw for taking in hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing their country after Russia's invasion.
She's also visiting Romania and is widely expected to reassure both countries of Washington's support.
Both Bucharest and Warsaw are increasingly wary of Russia's increased aggression in the region and are NATO's easternmost members. They each share a border with Ukraine, where thousands of refugees are arriving each day.
Harris is also expected to look at how NATO members can implement the economic sanctions put in place and remain aligned and move forward together.
She is due to talk to Ukrainian refugees in Poland and will discuss the war-related issues with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is also visiting Warsaw after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Wednesday.
wmr,rc/msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)
Russia and Ukraine agreed to open more humanitarian corridors on Wednesday (File)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday discussed diplomatic ways to settle the Ukraine conflict and the implementation of humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians, the Kremlin said.
"In the context of the developing situation around a special military operation to protect Donbas, various political and diplomatic efforts have been discussed, in particular a third round of talks between a Russian delegation and representatives of the Kyiv authorities," the Kremlin said in a statement, referring to eastern Ukraine.
The Kremlin said that the two leaders discussed "the humanitarian aspects of the situation" in Ukraine and separatist regions.
Putin informed Scholz of measures being taken to evacuate civilians and "attempts of fighters of nationalist groupings" to scupper those plans.
Russia and Ukraine agreed to open more humanitarian corridors on Wednesday to evacuate terrified civilians from bombarded cities, while new concerns emerged over the Chernobyl nuclear plant after a power cut.
As fighting raged on the 14th day of what the Kremlin has termed a "special military operation", safe routes were opening out of five Ukrainian areas including suburbs of the capital Kyiv that have been devastated by Russian shelling and air strikes.
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