live blog
Leading CDU politicians criticize former Chancellor Schröder’s praise for Scholz’s “Taurus” no. Russian President Putin has warned of the consequences of a NATO mission in Ukraine. All developments in the live blog.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Vladimir Putin’s results in the Russian presidential election as “extraordinary”. “This is an absolutely extraordinary result for the incumbent president (…) and a clear confirmation of our population’s support for their head of state,” said Peskov about Putin’s election result of more than 87 percent. Peskov also turned against Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. When asked by a journalist, Peskov said: “This Yulia Navalnaya that you mentioned is increasingly one of those people who are losing their roots, losing their connection to the fatherland, losing their understanding of their fatherland, no longer feeling the pulse of their country .”
The European Union does not recognize the election in Russia as free and fair. In an official statement, the EU accuses the Russian government of major restrictions on voting, which were exacerbated by the attack on Ukraine. It is regretted that no international election observers were allowed. This meant that an independent assessment of the vote was denied. It is also said that the election results in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories are ineffective.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock clearly rejects calls for a freeze on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Anyone who has read the latest UN report on Russian war crimes in the occupied territories “will, in my opinion, not talk again about the fact that perhaps the conflict should be frozen,” said Baerbock before the start of a meeting of EU foreign ministers Brussels. The report reads “like an absolute horror book.” The Green politician’s comments were obviously aimed at SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich, who had made similar comments during a Bundestag debate last Thursday.
According to the authorities there, two people were killed and four others injured in a renewed attack by Ukraine on the Russian border region of Belgorod. The regional government said the attack occurred in the village of Nikolskoye. Belgorod has already come under fire several times. In the run-up to the Russian presidential election, reports of attacks had increased.
Leading CDU politicians have criticized former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s (both SPD) rejection of the delivery of “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine.
The fact that someone like Schröder, “who speaks so uncritically for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, regularly supports the SPD in Germany and the Chancellor here,” should make Scholz think, said CDU presidium member Jens Spahn before meetings of his party’s leadership in Berlin .
CDU treasurer Julia Klöckner criticized: “We have seen that several times that former Chancellor Schröder does not have pure motives and does not have the appropriate distance from Russia. He paid well for it.”
“Anyone who has friends and supporters like the ex-Chancellor and Putin friend Gerhard Schröder actually no longer needs political enemies,” said CDU presidium member Jens Spahn
Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder supported Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s no to the delivery of “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine and the fundamental rejection of sending ground troops. “I think Olaf Scholz is doing what I would expect from a German chancellor at the moment,” said former SPD leader Schröder to the dpa news agency.
When asked whether he would like a “peace chancellor” Scholz, the 79-year-old said: “Yes, I would like that.” He added: “If someone, as German Chancellor, advocates for peace, if someone is described as a ‘peace chancellor,’ is that negative?”
China is considering taking part in the peace conference planned in Switzerland. “It must be prevented that the crisis gets even worse or even gets out of control,” said the Chinese ambassador in Bern, Wang Shihting, to the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung”. “We are closely following the Ukraine conference (…) and are examining the possibility of taking part in it.” Russia has rejected the conference planned for the summer as pointless.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning the West that a direct conflict between Russia and NATO countries would bring the world one step closer to a third world war.
Asked by the Reuters news agency about French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements about the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine and the risks and opportunities of a conflict between Russia and NATO, Putin replied: “Everything is possible in the modern world.” Everyone knows that it will then only be one step towards the great Third World War. “I don’t think anyone is interested in it,” Putin said.
The Russian Embassy in the US wants to protest against possible actions by US secret services during the Russian presidential election on Sunday in a diplomatic note to the government in Washington, according to a report by the state news agency Tass. Secret service agents “blocked the entrance to the Russian embassy and hindered Russian citizens who wanted to vote,” Tass quoted Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov as saying.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil has rejected the accusation that the SPD and Chancellor Olaf Scholz are acting in Ukraine policy for electoral reasons. “I’ve known Olaf Scholz for a while now,” said Klingbeil Caren Miosga. “He decides things based on principles and attitudes and not on the question of whether there are any election data somewhere.” With regard to the controversial rejection of the delivery of “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine, Klingbeil said that Scholz ultimately bears responsibility for political decisions of enormous consequence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is open to talks about a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Olympics. Putin said he was open to the idea expressed by France in a speech that evening, just hours after his re-election. However, the interests of the Russian military at the front would have to be taken into account. The Olympic Games are in Paris from July 26th to August 11th. If there were to be talks about a possible peace with Ukraine, he would have to think about who he could discuss it with, Putin also said. He made it clear that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would not be considered for this.
Unlike the Chancellor, Green Party leader Nouripour does not see the “Taurus” debate over. After Ukrainian attacks on Russian warships, fleet protection is to be strengthened. Sunday’s live blog for reading.