1. Rescued civilians from Mariupol
2. Germany supports oil embargo
3. How the war is affecting the Ukrainian economy
4. Rearmament at the expense of the welfare state?
5. Indo-German government consultations in Berlin
6. The fight for the Champions League
7. This is going to be important this week
Rescue from Mariupol: A father sees his son again.
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Image: Reuters
1. Rescued civilians from Mariupol
For the first time, a group of people can leave the premises of the embattled “Azov” steelworks in Mariupol. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister calls on Germany to act more decisively.
Evacuation: According to Ukrainian information, around a hundred civilians have been evacuated from the “Azov” steelworks in Mariupol, which was surrounded by Russian troops. People were on their way to Zaporizhia in Ukraine on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Twitter. The steelworks site is the last bastion of the Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol, which was largely destroyed by Russian attacks. Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are said to be holding out under catastrophic conditions in the complex with extensive underground tunnel systems. So far, no evacuation action from the Azov steelworks had been successful.
“Hesitantly”: In an interview with the FAZ, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Germany to act more decisively. Germany is “one of the most hesitant countries in the EU” when it comes to the decisive questions about the war. The European integration of Ukraine is “today a question of war and peace on our continent”. Regarding the status of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Kuleba said: “The negotiations are a maneuver designed to distract from their offensive.” Over the weekend, the Russian army intensified its attacks in eastern Ukraine.
Security Concerns: The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz wants to travel to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv this Monday. According to information from the newspaper “Tagesspiegel”, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is said to have “explicitly” advised him against the planned trip. He had been asked to postpone the trip. Merz only informed the security authorities about the trip on Friday. The BKA is said to have emphasized that such a trip to the war zone requires a little more advance notice.
more on the subject
Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) now considers an oil embargo feasible.
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Image: dpa
2. Germany supports oil embargo
The European Union is preparing import restrictions for Russian oil. Germany is moving along – and is thus changing course.
change of course: On Tuesday, the EU Commission plans to launch the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. Part of the punitive measures should include import restrictions for Russian oil. Germany also supports this step and is thus changing course – similar to the previous delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
brake pad: When it comes to energy, Germany has so far been seen as a brakeman. When the fifth sanctions package was about stopping coal imports from Russia, Berlin pushed through a transitional period of four months. When it came to oil, it was initially said that Russian deliveries would only be replaced by the end of the year – now it should be much faster. According to Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens), Germany only gets 12 percent of its oil from Russia. At the beginning of the war it was still 35 percent.