Ukraine News: ++ “Does the West want Ukraine to win? My faith is waning,” says an ex-US general ++

Status: 08:15 a.m | Reading time: 5 minutes

Dhe former US General Ben Hodges has accused Germany and the US of a lack of determination in supporting Ukraine. “Does the West want Ukraine to win? My faith is fading,” said the former commander of US forces in Europe in an interview with the “daily mirror“. While the US government is now allowing its allies to ship F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, their long delay before delivery is “an example of a lack of determination to help Ukraine win,” Hodges said.

Hodges criticized that Germany was also reluctant to decide on the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles. Should Ukraine’s counter-offensive fail, “the governments of the USA and Germany must be held responsible”. However, failure can be avoided if the two countries act decisively now. Ukraine has long been demanding that the red-green-yellow federal government deliver Taurus cruise missiles for defense against Russia. So far, however, the traffic light has been cautious. There are fears that the weapons could also reach Russian territory.

Crucial to the success of the Ukrainian army is “the ability to carry out precision attacks over long distances,” argues Hodges. “Then the Russians can no longer hold Crimea. It would be too dangerous for its Black Sea Fleet and Air Force to continue operating there.” Long-range precision weapons could also help accelerate the destruction of Russia’s artillery, logistics and transport infrastructure, the former US general said.

All developments in the live ticker:

04:40 – Putin meets senior military chiefs

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with senior military commanders at the headquarters of the Russian operation, according to a media report. The RIA news agency report, based on a statement by the Kremlin, gives no reason for the meeting in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

02:30 am – Nearly 500,000 soldiers reported killed or wounded

According to a US media report, almost 500,000 soldiers were killed or injured in the Ukraine war. The losses since the Russian attack in February last year are higher on the Russian side than on the Ukrainian side with around 300,000 dead or wounded, writes the “New York Times‘ citing US officials.

The number of fallen Russian soldiers is estimated at up to 120,000 and the number of injured at 170,000 to 180,000. Around 70,000 soldiers were killed in the fighting in Ukraine and 100,000 to 120,000 were wounded.

However, the exact number of Russian casualties remains difficult to quantify, as it is assumed that Moscow routinely underestimates the number of its war deaths and injuries and that Kiev does not publish any official figures, the New York Times continued.

00:23 – Lavrov: Russia’s possession of nuclear weapons is a response to threats

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov justifies the possession of nuclear weapons. “Today, possession of nuclear weapons is the only possible answer to some significant external threats to our country’s security,” Lavrov said.

10:38 pm – Biden: Russian war of aggression not only affects Europe

According to US President Joe Biden, the Russian invasion of Ukraine does not only affect Europe. “This type of invasion hasn’t happened since World War II,” Biden said after a summit with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David. After the war began, it was crucial “to make it clear that the consequences of a war go far beyond Europe,” he said, also with a view to what it would mean if an Asian country were to attack another country in the region in this way.

Japan’s prime minister made it clear early on that such an attack could happen anywhere, Biden said. “If we were to keep quiet, what signal would that send to China in relation to Taiwan?” Biden also emphasized with regard to Ukraine: “And as far as peace is concerned, we all want it.” Above all, the Ukrainians wanted this. The US government is in constant contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his team, Biden said. “Russia has already lost and can no longer achieve its original goal, it is not possible.”

10:02 pm – Ukraine sees progress on security guarantees

According to the Ukrainian leadership, it is making progress in its quest for Western security guarantees against future Russian aggression. In his video message distributed in Kiev on Friday evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of a “diplomatic success”. In the meantime, 18 states have joined the declaration of the group of seven leading industrial nations (G7) on such security guarantees. He did not give details.

9:18 pm – Ukraine and Romania want to facilitate grain transport

In view of the tense situation in the Black Sea, Ukraine and Romania want to strengthen their cooperation in the transport of goods. Both countries have signed an agreement “that ensures the reliable transit of Ukrainian goods,” said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal after a meeting with his Romanian counterpart Marcel Ciolacu in Bucharest. New checkpoints for road, rail and river traffic are planned along the shared border.

also read

7:57 p.m. – Russia has imposed entry bans on another 54 Britons

Moscow has again imposed entry bans on 54 British citizens, including members of the government, journalists and PR people, because of London’s “anti-Russian course”. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Culture Minister Lucy Frazer and Defense Ministry politician Annabel Goldie, who is responsible for supplying uranium ammunition to Ukraine, are blacklisted. More than 300 Britons are now listed there.

Representatives of the security apparatus and from the legal sector, including Karim Khan as chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, are also subject to sanctions. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

“Kick-off” is WELT’s daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by WELT editors and the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or directly by RSS feed.