live blog
According to Czech information, around 15 countries are interested in the ammunition initiative for Ukraine. Liberals and Greens criticize Chancellor Scholz’s no to the “Taurus” delivery. All developments in the live blog.
According to Green Party leader Omid Nouripour, the deployment of Western ground troops in Ukraine is not up for debate. “It’s not an issue at all. It’s not an issue in the discussion in Germany and not in an alliance,” he said on ntv. Regarding statements made by French President Emmanuel Macron the day before, Nouripour said: “I experienced a moody Macron who simply wanted to say: I don’t want to rule anything out.” Macron did not want to rule out the possibility of his country using ground troops to prevent a Russian victory in Ukraine.
After French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has not ruled out sending ground troops to Ukraine. “You can’t rule out anything in a war (…) in the heart of Europe,” he said on radio station RTL. Two years ago, many countries ruled out supplying weapons to Ukraine. “Today we are in the process of sending long-range missiles to support the Ukrainians against this aggression,” Attal said. Macron reminded us that “nothing can be ruled out in a war that is once again taking place in the heart of Europe and at the gates of the European Union.”
Russian troops prevented Ukrainian soldiers from crossing the Dnipro in Kherson Oblast in southern Ukraine, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow. The Ukrainian units tried to cross the river near the village of Krynky, reports the Russian state news agency Tass, citing the ministry.
The Ukrainian military says it intercepted and destroyed eleven drones and two missiles belonging to the Russian armed forces on Tuesday night. In total, 13 drones and a whole series of missiles were fired by the Russian side at several regions in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram.
Conflict parties as a source
In the current situation, information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian parties to the conflict cannot be directly verified by an independent body.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns of consequences for grain transport through the Black Sea if US military aid fails to arrive. “I think the route will be closed. Because to defend it you also need ammunition, air defense and other systems,” he told the US broadcaster CNN. According to him, around 30 million tons of grain and other agricultural products have been exported through the maritime corridor.
French President Emmanuel Macron does not rule out the use of Western ground troops in Ukraine. He said this after concluding a Ukraine aid conference in Paris. However, at the meeting of more than 20 heads of state and government, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, there was no agreement on the use of such troops, said Macron. He also announced a new coalition for the delivery of medium and long-range missiles. He did not say which countries were included.
Around 15 countries have expressed interest in the Czech ammunition initiative. “A number of states have joined the initiative in the middle of the negotiations, or my colleagues have told me that they will quickly discuss the initiative,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said following a meeting in Paris. “I think that the action will have broad support in this way, I estimate that it will be 15 states,” he added. The Czech Republic is leading the initiative to raise money for a rapid purchase of artillery ammunition from third countries for Ukraine.
The Netherlands, among others, announced that they wanted to contribute 100 million euros to the initiative. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said this after the meeting in Paris called by French President Emmanuel Macron to boost support for Ukraine.
Coalition politicians from the FDP and the Greens have criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for his refusal to deliver “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine. The chairwoman of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), told the television station “Welt” that Scholz was wrong in claiming that Bundeswehr soldiers had to go to Ukraine to prepare this weapon. “In this case, the programming can take place in Germany, or the Ukrainian soldiers must be taught it here.”
The Green Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt also criticized Scholz. “Nobody who calls for ‘Taurus’ for Ukraine wants Germany to become a war party,” she told the Germany editorial network. But: “For peace in Europe and beyond, it is essential that Ukraine wins this defensive battle.” The greatest danger for Ukraine and for Germany’s security remains that Russian President Vladimir Putin retains the upper hand and then continues his imperialist campaign.
French President Macron is calling for more weapons and more resources for Ukraine. Poland’s Prime Minister Tusk has called on Slovakia and Hungary to give up their resistance to military aid for Ukraine. Monday’s live blog for reading.