Monday, January 10, 2022
New round of negotiations in Geneva
Ukraine asks Germany for weapons
In Geneva, Moscow and Washington discussed the conflict in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kiev is demanding the delivery of weapons from Berlin. A possible invasion by Russian troops should thus be as costly as possible, according to the Ukrainian side.
In view of the conflict with Russia, Ukraine urges Germany to deliver arms to the government in Kiev. “Germany bears the same historical responsibility for Ukraine as it does for Israel,” said the Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Andrij Melnyk, to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
“That is why massive military support from Germany is expected in Kiev.” This is supposed to increase the price of an attack by Russia, which the government in Kiev fears. Most recently, politicians in the Ampel coalition were reluctant or negative about arms deliveries to Ukraine.
Russia has gathered almost 100,000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine. The West is threatening tough sanctions if Russian soldiers invade Ukraine. The Moscow government rejects allegations that it is preparing an invasion. Instead, they want to make it clear that Moscow will not accept NATO’s further eastward expansion. Russia also demands security guarantees. NATO recently referred to Ukraine’s right to self-determination as a sovereign country.
The international talks to resolve the Ukraine conflict are starting a new round today. Negotiators from Russia and the United States meet in Geneva. It is not expected, however, that any progress will be made at the meeting between the US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and the Russian Deputy Head of Department Sergei Ryabkov. Both sides were rather pessimistic on Sunday and reinforced their positions.
For their first exchange, Sherman and Ryabkov met at dinner on Sunday. The NATO-Russia Council will then meet on Wednesday. The NATO-Ukraine Council, in which the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba intends to take part, is already meeting in Brussels today.