At a meeting with Selenskyj in Kyiv, Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke out in favor of Ukraine’s EU accession status. During the same visit, Italy’s Prime Minister Draghi calls for a UN mission in the Black Sea. All voices and developments on the Ukraine war here in the ticker.
6.15 p.m .: After Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s (SPD) visit to Kyiv, the Union in the Bundestag expressed disappointment at the lack of concrete delivery commitments for heavy weapons. During the visit, it would have been “high time to finally give a clear commitment to the immediate delivery of heavy weapons,” said Union parliamentary group vice-president Johann Wadephul (CDU) of the “Welt” (Friday edition). “Only Olaf Scholz’s commitment to immediate EU accession candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova is a good signal.”
The co-chair of the Greens parliamentary group, Britta Haßelmann, described supporting candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova as “exactly the right decision at the right time”. She now hopes “that the EU Commission and the other EU members of Ukraine and Moldova will give their approval for a European perspective,” she told the “Rheinische Post” and the “Generalanzeiger”.
Scholz “characterized Ukraine as part of the European family, which, like the Western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova, should have a perspective in the EU,” said SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich. “With all the prerequisites for a common future, this statement should not be underestimated in its historical significance.”
Criticism came from the Left Party: “The debate about Ukraine’s accession to the EU is a bogus debate,” said parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Friday editions). “It is clear to everyone involved that the prerequisite for an accession process, in addition to domestic political reforms, is a prior and lasting peace process.” Scholz should therefore have insisted during the visit “that diplomacy needs a fresh start”.
Macron said France always responded promptly to requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for weapons to defend his country. The truck-mounted 155mm caliber Caesar guns can accurately hit targets up to 40km away.
4:19 p.m .: Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi wants to end the blockade of Ukrainian ports by Russia under United Nations coordination. The Russian military is currently not allowing ships carrying grain to leave Ukraine. Poorer countries in particular, for example in Africa, are urgently dependent on these deliveries. “The only way is a United Nations resolution to regulate the corridors in the Black Sea,” Draghi said on Thursday at a joint press conference with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, among others, in Kyiv. Russia has so far rejected this.
“The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine must not lead to a global catastrophe,” Draghi added. Europe must now show strength, the Italian demanded. “We must face the challenge with courage,” the same courage shown by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “With determination and unity. We owe it to the Ukrainians, we owe it to the Europeans,” Draghi said.
4:16 p.m .: French President Emmanuel Macron has also spoken out in favor of granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate country. “In any case, we support Ukraine’s accession status to the European Union,” Macron said in Kyiv on Thursday.
4:13 p.m .: Chancellor Olaf Scholz has campaigned for Ukraine and its small neighboring Republic of Moldova to be granted the status of EU accession candidates. “Germany is for a positive decision in favor of Ukraine. That also applies to the Republic of Moldova,” said the SPD politician at a press conference in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Thursday. “Ukraine is part of the European family,” he added.
3:03 p.m .: During the visit of Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Kyiv on Thursday, the air alarm was triggered for the second time in the Ukrainian capital. This was reported by a reporter from the German Press Agency on site.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi were also in the capital with Scholz. Already after their arrival in the morning there had been an air raid alarm.
1:54 p.m .: After the reduction in Russian gas supplies through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline, a complete shutdown of the most important supply line for Germany cannot be ruled out. At the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg on Thursday, Russia’s ambassador to the EU said that the line could be completely shut down because of the problems with repairing turbines in Canada. “I think that would be a disaster for Germany,” he said, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
Germany should think about repairing the turbines on its own territory so that they don’t have to be shipped to Canada, the diplomat said. As announced, the Russian energy company Gazprom further reduced its gas deliveries to Germany through Nord Stream on Thursday night. The gas giant justified the step with delays in repair work.
1:02 p.m .: During their trip to Kyiv, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and three other European heads of state and government met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for talks. Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis were received by Zelenskyj in the Presidential Palace on Thursday afternoon. After a joint photo session in front of the building, the top politicians sat down at a round table. Before the meeting, the European guests had visited the Kiev suburb of Irpin and seen the destruction caused by the Russian attacks.
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12:36 p.m .: Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has criticized the joint trip to Kyiv by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi as useless. “European fans of frogs, liverwurst and spaghetti love to visit Kyiv,” Medvedev wrote on his Twitter account on Thursday. “With zero benefit.”
Politicians would have to travel by train like they did 100 years ago. They held out the prospect of EU membership and “old howitzers” for Ukraine, said Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council. “It’s all good. But it will not bring Ukraine closer to peace. The clock is ticking.” Scholz, Macron and Draghi traveled to Kyiv that night to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Medvedev was head of the Kremlin between 2008 and 2012. Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, he has often made disparaging remarks about the neighboring country and Western states. Only on Wednesday did he question the continued existence of Ukraine as a sovereign state in a post on the Telegram social network.
11.48 a.m .: Chancellor Olaf Scholz has condemned the “brutality” of the Russian war of aggression in the partially destroyed Kiev suburb of Irpin. Scholz spoke of senseless violence on Thursday. Innocent civilians were hit and houses were destroyed. An entire city was destroyed in which there were no military structures at all. “That says a lot about the brutality of the Russian war of aggression, which is simply aimed at destruction and conquest.” The destruction in Irpin is a “very important reminder” that something needs to be done.
It is a terrible war, said the Chancellor. “Russia is pushing it forward with the utmost brutality, with no regard for human life. And that is what must come to an end.” Scholz assured Ukraine of international solidarity
Similar to neighboring Bucha, almost 300 civilians, some of whom were executed, were found in Irpin after the Russian troops withdrew at the end of March. Scholz was accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
10.40 a.m .: Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the Ukrainian Irpin on Thursday. The SPD politician arrived in the partially destroyed Kiev suburb late in the morning. Similar to neighboring Bucha, almost 300 civilians, some of whom were executed, were found there after the Russians retreated at the end of March.
8:56 a.m .: Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Thursday morning with a special train. There they want to talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about further support for the country attacked by Russia and about Ukraine’s desire to join the European Union.
“It is important when the heads of government of the three big countries, who were already involved in the establishment of the European Economic Community, go to Kyiv and show their support for Ukraine and the citizens of Ukraine in this very special situation of war.” , said Scholz of the dpa.
“But we don’t just want to demonstrate solidarity, we also want to assure that the help that we are organizing, financially, humanitarianly, but also when it comes to weapons, will continue,” added Scholz. The support will continue for as long as ” how this is necessary for Ukraine’s struggle for independence”. At the same time, it will be made clear once again that the sanctions imposed on Russia are of great importance. “Because they contribute to the chance that Russia will give up its plan and its troops again withdraws, because that is the goal,” emphasized Scholz.
8:44 a.m.: According to Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, the heavy artillery pieces intended for Ukraine from Germany can soon be brought there. “The training is almost complete. And now the Ukrainian soldiers who have been trained can then be transferred to the Ukraine with the tank howitzers,” said the SPD politician on Thursday in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”. According to her, the promised delivery of decommissioned anti-aircraft tanks of the Gepard type is imminent: “The Cheetahs will now be able to be delivered promptly.”
She also referred to the commitment to deliver multiple rocket launchers to Ukraine jointly with the US and UK. “Germany will participate with three such systems, but also with the corresponding number of missiles, spare parts and here again the training,” said Lambrecht. According to her, the Bundeswehr’s obligations to provide technology within NATO do not allow for more. “The test has shown that we can deliver two such systems plus one in reserve.”
7:08 a.m .: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), French President Emanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi are on their way to Kyiv by train. The “Repubblica” reports details of the trip. Accordingly, the heads of state and government boarded the train in Poland and met for deliberations in Macron’s cabin. Scholz wore a “black short-sleeved shirt that was out of fashion,” as the Italian correspondent notes. The three are expected in Kyiv in the morning.
9:54 p.m .: According to information from ZDF, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is on his way to Kyiv. He is to arrive there together with French President Macron and Italian President Draghi.
9:41 p.m .: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has accepted the invitations to the G7 and NATO summits. Selenskyj wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. The group of seven leading industrial nations (G7) will meet in Bavaria at the end of June, followed immediately by NATO in Madrid.
5:37 p.m .: Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, who has just been sentenced to nine years in prison, claims to have been transferred to a penal camp with tougher conditions than before. He was transferred to penal colony 6 in Melechowo near the city of Kovrov and is currently in quarantine, the 46-year-old said on Instagram on Wednesday. Relatives, employees, friends and supporters had previously worried about the whereabouts of Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin’s fiercest opponent. Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Jarmysch said the day before that his life was in danger.
The lawyer for the prominent anti-corruption fighter was not given any information in the prison camp in Pokrov about where the opposition leader had been transferred. Now the lawyer also saw Navalny in the penal camp, said Jarmysch. The camp, with particularly harsh prison conditions, is around 150 kilometers away from the Pokrov penal colony. That’s about 260 kilometers northeast of the Russian capital Moscow.
5:34 p.m .: At a meeting of the so-called Ukraine contact group, the United States promised further western arms deliveries to the country. “We will increase our support for Ukraine’s armed forces,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Wednesday at a meeting of more than 45 countries at NATO headquarters in Brussels. In addition to the USA, Germany and Great Britain also want to supply multiple rocket launchers.
According to a consultant, President Volodymyr Zelenskyj had previously requested 500 tanks, 2,000 armored vehicles, 1,000 howitzers and 300 multiple rocket launchers of the US type Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). According to the Pentagon, the United States wants to hand over four multiple rocket launchers to Kyiv, as well as another 1,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles and four Mi-17 helicopters.
5 p.m.: With the current gas supply cuts (see entry at 3.40 p.m.), Russia wants to cause unrest, according to Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck. “The reason given by the Russian side is simply pretended. It is obviously the strategy to unsettle and drive up prices, ”said the Green politician on Wednesday in Berlin.
“Currently, the quantities can be procured on the market, albeit at high prices. It is currently still being stored,” said Habeck. “The security of supply is guaranteed.” However, the situation is being monitored very closely and there is close communication about the crisis structures. “But the current situation also shows that saving energy is the order of the day. And of course we will also take government action if necessary.”
4:26 p.m .: The Ukrainian presidential adviser Michajlo Podoljak defended his country’s demands for heavy weapons in “Spiegel” – and hopes that Chancellor Olaf Scholz will agree to them during his visit on Thursday.
For Podoljak it is clear: Russia must be defeated on the battlefield, there must be no concessions. “Any territorial concession to Russia inevitably leads to Russia choosing the next stage of escalation after a year or two. This will lead to a war without end,” said Podljak.
3.40 p.m .: The Russian energy company Gazprom reduces the maximum gas delivery quantities through the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1 to Germany again. From Thursday morning only a maximum of 67 million cubic meters will be pumped through the pipeline every day, Gazprom announced on Wednesday. The Russian state company once again justified this step with delays in repair work by Siemens. Therefore, another gas compression plant had to be shut down, it said.
Gazprom had already announced on Tuesday that it would reduce the maximum delivery volume to initially up to 100 million cubic meters of gas per day. This corresponds to around 60 percent of the previously planned daily volume of 167 million cubic meters of gas. A little later, the Federal Network Agency rejected Gazprom’s statements that delays in repairs to a gas compressor unit were the reason for the reduced gas delivery volumes.
For Germany, Nord Stream 1 is the main supply pipeline with Russian gas. The Yamal-Europe line had previously not been filled. The transit of Russian gas through Ukraine, which is well below plan, has also been reduced. Energy prices had already increased as a result of the previous restrictions, because overall less gas flows from Russia to Europe. The completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has not yet been put into operation.
3:17 p.m .: According to the Kremlin, Russia and China want to strengthen their economic cooperation in view of the western sanctions. This was agreed during a telephone conversation between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the Russian Presidential Office announced in Moscow on Wednesday. Cooperation should be strengthened “in view of the global economic situation, which has been complicated by the illegal sanctions imposed by the West”.
2:53 p.m .: Russia’s ex-president Dmitry Medvedev has questioned the continued existence of Ukraine as a sovereign state – and once again caused a stir. Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, wrote on Telegram on Wednesday that he had read that Ukraine wanted to conclude contracts for the supply of US liquefied gas for two years. Then he added: “Just one question: who said Ukraine would even be on the world map in two years?”
Medvedev was head of the Kremlin between 2008 and 2012 and was seen at the time, especially among young people, as a beacon of hope for a freer Russia. Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, however, he has been making contemptuous comments about the neighboring country. In Ukraine, his statements are seen as evidence that Moscow’s official war goal – the desired “liberation” of the Donbass – is just a pretext for the annihilation of the entire Ukrainian culture.
The Kremlin did not directly comment on Medvedev’s latest statements. When asked by journalists, spokesman Dmitry Peskov simply said: “We know that Ukraine has major problems.” The country continues to refuse to “bridle nationalist units” in its own ranks, Peskov continued. “And therefore, of course, this doesn’t bode well for Ukraine.”
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