After weeks of radio silence, Chancellor Scholz spoke again to Kremlin boss Putin. Meanwhile, Ukraine is reporting further land gains. How significant are these achievements? The news at a glance.
In the first phone call in months with Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin, Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushed for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine war. “Russia must withdraw its troops from #Ukraine and recognize sovereignty and territorial integrity. A diplomatic solution is otherwise inconceivable,” wrote the SPD politician on Twitter after the 90-minute phone call.
On the day of the meeting, Ukraine reported further gains in territory in the north-east of the country, fueling hopes of a turnaround in the war beyond Ukraine. Accordingly, after their defeat in the region near Kharkiv on Tuesday, Russian troops withdrew from the first places in the neighboring Luhansk region. However, the USA dampened the euphoria after the Ukrainian advance: the progress is significant, but it is too early to assess further developments, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Mexico. At the same time, the US embassy in Berlin encouraged Germany and other allies to “provide as much support as possible” with military aid.
Meanwhile, Germany is struggling more and more with the consequences of the war. Scholz called for overcoming the price and energy crisis together. Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) promised medium-sized companies with high energy requirements subsidies for their gas and electricity costs. Employer President Rainer Dulger, however, referred to considerable fears of a recession among companies. Consumers should also be worried about the sharp rise in prices: the Federal Statistical Office reported a jump in the inflation rate to 7.9 percent for August. The German Association of Cities, on the other hand, warns of bottlenecks in the accommodation of refugees from the Ukraine.
End of months of radio silence
According to a government spokesman, Scholz last phoned Putin at the end of May – at that time together with French President Emmanuel Macron. Since then there have been further dramatic developments in the war zone. According to information from Berlin, the conversation on Tuesday also dealt with the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which was repeatedly fired at and occupied by Russian troops.
Scholz emphasized the need to ensure the safety of the nuclear power plant, said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. Another topic was the global food supply situation, which is tense as a result of the war. The federal government announced that Scholz and Putin had agreed to remain in contact.
Ukraine reports Russian withdrawal also from parts of Luhansk
In the war zone, the tide had turned in the past few days: the Ukrainian military regained areas in the east and south of the country, while the Russian occupiers hastily withdrew.
According to Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar, at least 300 towns with almost 150,000 inhabitants on 3800 square kilometers in the Kharkov region were liberated in one week. Russian troops also withdrew from the first places in the neighboring region of Luhansk, as announced by the Ukrainian military governor there, Serhiy Hajdaj. These statements could not initially be verified independently.
With the help of Western weapons, Kyiv wants to recapture the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Russia had announced the complete capture of Luhansk in July. According to their own statements, the Ukrainians currently hold around 40 percent of the territory in Donetsk.
Kremlin: No general mobilization
The Russian leadership around President Vladimir Putin is calm despite the setbacks. No general mobilization is planned, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Interfax agency. But calls for consequences are growing louder in Moscow – including for a partial or full mobilization to achieve the stated goals of the so-called special operation.
At the same time, there are indications of increased criticism of Putin. Dozens of local politicians in Russia called for his resignation. New supporters would be added, wrote the deputy of a St. Petersburg district council, Xenia Torstrem, on Twitter. However, the direct effects of such protest actions are likely to be small. Since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Russia’s judiciary has been particularly tough on members of the opposition and those who think differently.
British see setback for elite unit
The strategic situation after Ukraine’s recent successes is also not easy to assess. “We have clearly seen significant progress by the Ukrainians, particularly in the Northeast,” US Secretary of State Blinken said in Mexico, praising the Ukrainians’ courage. But he added that it was too early to tell how the situation would develop. “The Russians continue to have very large armed forces, equipment, weapons and ammunition in Ukraine.”
According to British intelligence services, however, leading units of the Russian army have been severely weakened. The First Guards Tank Army, which is one of the most prestigious units in the Russian military, is also affected. Parts of this unit withdrew from the Kharkiv region last week.
Blackout in Kharkiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again demanded more weapons from the western allies – in this case anti-aircraft weapons, since Russia had attacked power grids in Ukraine in the past few days, among other things. Also on Tuesday there were power outages in Kharkiv. Germany has promised Ukraine the modern Iris-T air defense system. Ukraine hopes for quick delivery.
“Germany, we are waiting for your word”
Selenskyj’s adviser Mykhailo Podoljak criticized the German hesitation in tank deliveries. “There are no tanks for six months because there is no ‘political decision’ about it,” he wrote on Twitter in German. Russia could therefore continue the “terror”, Ukrainians would have to die. “Germany, we are waiting for your word,” Podoljak addressed Berlin.
There, the issue of further weapon systems continues to be disputed, also with a view to tanks. However, the debate is largely deadlocked: Chancellor Scholz and the SPD are cautious and opposed to going it alone. The coalition partners Greens and FDP are putting pressure on.
The US embassy in Berlin encouraged Germany to provide “as much support as possible” with military aid to Ukraine. “The decision on the type of aid ultimately lies with each country itself,” wrote the representation on Twitter.