The new Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin calls for more speed in German aid for his country. The US is asking Russia to allow grain exports from Ukraine again. All developments in the live blog.
4:23 a.m
US criticizes grain blockade
The US has criticized the new Russian blockade on grain exports from Ukraine and called for deliveries to resume. President Joe Biden called Russia’s actions outrageous and stressed that it would increase hunger in the world.
“Russia is again using food as a weapon in the war it started,” criticized US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He called on the Russian government to once again honor the agreement on the safe passage of Ukrainian grain shipments. At the weekend, Russia announced that it would suspend the agreement brokered by Turkey and the UN in July.
4:23 a.m
Makejev pushes for speed with help
The new Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Oleksij Makeiev, is calling on the federal government to step up its support for his country. “When I look at Germany’s actions in this war, I sometimes think: there’s a German sports car driving on the autobahn at 30 km/h,” Makeiev told “Bild am Sonntag”. Instead of delivering quickly, which would help in the fight against the Russians, they spent weeks explaining why the Ukrainian demands could not be met. “You could do so much more, so much faster,” Makeiev said.
Makeiev also warned Germany against accepting Russian conscientious objectors. “Young men flee who have no regrets, but still want to avoid military service and end up driving in motorcades through German cities waving Russian flags,” the ambassador told the newspaper. These are a “security risk” not only for Germany, but “also for all young Ukrainian women with their children who end up having to sit across from these men in refugee shelters.”