Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wants to call Russian President Vladimir Putin again because of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit announced in Berlin that the conversation would take place later in the afternoon. The conversation was closely coordinated with French President Emmanuel Macron and will also revolve around a possible summit with Putin and US President Joe Biden. The initiative for this came from Macron, who had called Putin twice and Biden once on Sunday.
The federal government welcomes the fact that Biden has offered a direct meeting with Putin, Hebestreit said. It is hoped that the Russian side will accept this offer. “Now it would be important to start the necessary preparations so that such a summit can take place as soon as possible.”
Biden agreed to the meeting “in principle” on the condition that there would be no Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US President’s Office confirmed. The meeting is scheduled for February 24th. “We are always ready for diplomacy,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. “But we are also prepared to take quick and severe consequences if Russia decides to go to war instead.”
The Kremlin was basically open to a summit with Biden. “Of course we don’t rule it out,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Interfax news agency. Putin and Biden could decide to meet in person or over the phone at any time. “So far there are no concrete plans to do so.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov will be consulting with one another this Monday. Le Drian announced this via Twitter. (02/21/2022)
Putin convenes national security council
In view of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has convened the National Security Council. The meeting should take place on Monday, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Interfax agency in Moscow. Peskow described the situation in the conflict area as “extremely tense”. “So far we haven’t seen any signs of relaxation.” When asked whether Russia would intervene directly in the Donbass should the pro-Russian separatists there ask for it, Peskov did not answer.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has also called a special session for this Monday. The OSCE has long tried to mediate in the conflict. So far, however, Russia has strictly rejected this and has recently stopped attending a number of meetings. (02/21/2022)
EU foreign ministers approve billions in aid for Ukraine
The foreign ministers of the EU countries have approved emergency financial aid for Ukraine in the billions. At a meeting in Brussels, they decided to grant another loan of 1.2 billion euros to the country threatened by Russia. It is to be paid out in two tranches. The proposal for this came from the EU Commission.
The assistance was fast-tracked in just 21 days to ensure Ukraine’s economic and financial stability. “The ongoing security threats have already triggered a significant outflow of capital,” the EU said. Due to the increased geopolitical uncertainty, Ukraine is losing access to the international capital markets.
According to the EU Commission, the EU and its financial institutions have provided Ukraine with more than 17 billion euros in loans and grants since 2014. (02/21/2022)
Belarusian Army Chief: Russian Troop Withdrawal Partly Depends On NATO Withdrawal
According to the government in Minsk, the withdrawal of Russian forces from Belarus depends in large part on NATO withdrawing its soldiers from areas near the borders with Belarus and Russia. “Russian soldiers will only return to their bases if there is an objective need and we decide that,” says Belarusian army chief Viktor Gulevich. “Not least, this will also depend on our Western colleagues. The forces and equipment deployed in Eastern Europe – also near Belarus – are one of the factors influencing the development of the situation.”
Belarus borders on NATO members Poland, Latvia and Lithuania and on the south on Ukraine. Gulevich’s comments leave room for the possibility that Russian soldiers will stay in Belarus permanently. The joint exercises by Belarus and Russia were due to end on Sunday but were extended citing military activity near the two countries. (02/21/2022)
USA: Targeted killings and kidnappings during Russian invasion of Ukraine
The United States says it has information about serious human rights violations if Russia invades Ukraine. “In particular, we have credible information suggesting that the Russian armed forces are preparing lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation,” US Ambassador to the UN Bathsheba Nell Crocker wrote in Geneva to the UN Human Rights Officer Michelle Bachelet. The letter is available from the German Press Agency.
It also said the US had intelligence that “Russian forces are likely to use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests.” The United States therefore fears that torture will be used as in “previous Russian actions”. The target would be people who would resist Russia, “including Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ people.” The abbreviation stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, inter and queer people and the plus sign as a placeholder for other identities. The US did not disclose its sources for the information.
According to media reports, the US government has intelligence information that Moscow is said to have ordered its military to proceed with plans for an invasion of Ukraine. In the West, there are fears that the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, could use the fighting between Ukrainian government troops and the forces of the separatist “People’s Republics” in the Donbass as a pretext for an invasion of the neighboring country. According to the US, Russia has gathered around 150,000 soldiers at the border. However, Moscow has been denying plans of attack for weeks. (02/21/2022)
Von der Leyen outlines possible sanctions
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has underscored the West’s threat that Russia could face “massive consequences” if it attacked Ukraine. In an interview with the ARD program “Anne Will”, she said about the planned sanctions package: “For the Kremlin, the financial sanctions mean that if they carry out military aggression against Ukraine, Russia will in principle be cut off from the international financial markets.”
And the economic sanctions affect “all the goods that Russia urgently needs to modernize and diversify its economy, but which are produced by us, where we have global dominance and which Russia cannot replace”. Russia has a clear weakness, that is its economy.
Referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, von der Leyen said: “It will not be easy for him to explain to his people why he is attacking Ukraine and why he is accepting these massive consequences for Russia with open eyes.” According to Western sources, Russia has gathered around 150,000 soldiers on the border with neighboring Ukraine, but denies any plans of attack. (02/20/2022)