04/01/2022
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 02:06 Italy announces tough action against oligarchs +++
Unlike other EU countries, Italy wants to take full action against Russian oligarchs. Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told the “Bild” newspaper that his country “is strictly adhering to our international obligations with regard to sanctions and thus also with regard to the confiscation of property of listed persons in Italy”. In the past few weeks, several villas and yachts have been confiscated from oligarchs. “To date we are talking about a total value of around 900 million euros. We were quick and consistent and will continue to be so.”
+++ 01:30 Kyiv: Russia wants to remain active in eastern and southern Ukraine +++
According to the Ukrainian general staff, Russia wants to maintain its military presence in eastern and southern Ukraine. According to a statement, there are attempts to set up an administration in the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson Oblasts. It is expected that there will continue to be hostilities there. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had already warned that Russia was planning a pseudo-referendum in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson on the formation of a “people’s republic” like in the eastern Ukrainian separatist areas.
+++ 00:50 Biden: “Putin seems to be isolating himself” +++
The US government suspects that Russian President Vladimir Putin has relieved some of his advisers from their duties and isolating himself. “There are indications that he has fired some of his advisors or placed them under house arrest,” said US President Joe Biden in the White House. But there is “not that much solid evidence”. When asked if Putin was being misinformed by his advisers, Biden replied, “There’s a lot of speculation. But he seems — I’m not saying this with certainty — he seems to be isolating himself.”
+++ 00:33 allegation of treason: Selenskyj fires two security officers +++
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, two high-ranking members of the security service have been fired. As Zelenskyy explains in a video message, it is the general head of internal security and the head of the agency’s branch in the Kherson region: “I don’t have time to deal with all the traitors, but little by little they are all to get punished.” The two men broke their oath to defend Ukraine. Selenskyj does not give any further details.
+++ 00:21 President of the European Parliament on the way to Kyiv +++
EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola has set out on a trip to the Ukrainian capital. “On the way to Kyiv,” writes the Christian Democrat on Twitter. The 43-year-old also published a photo showing her in front of a Ukrainian railway wagon. For security reasons, there were initially no details on the trip by the President of the Parliament from Malta. Your spokesman says only that Metsola will deliver a message of support and hope on behalf of the European Parliament in Kyiv.
+++ 23:54 situation in Kyiv calms down a bit +++
According to the city commandant, the situation in Kyiv has eased somewhat. However, fighting is still going on in the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, according to a statement by General Mykola Schyrnov published on Thursday evening. The civilian infrastructure is being restored, which affects companies as well as commercial and service facilities, emphasizes Schyrnow. Thursday was quiet. “The Ukrainian military and branches of the state rescue service are cleaning up and demining the liberated areas,” Zhyrnov said.
+++ 23:33 Lindner: “There is no accommodation for Vladimir Putin” +++
According to Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner, payments for gas deliveries from Russia should continue to be made in dollars and euros in the future. “Contracts are contracts. The contracts are denominated in euros and dollars,” emphasizes Lindner on ZDF. Any form of “political blackmail” by Russian President Vladimir Putin is “unacceptable”. “There is no concession for Vladimir Putin,” emphasizes the FDP leader. “The existing contracts will be fulfilled and we don’t want to allow the tough sanctions against the Russian central bank to be circumvented.” The aim is to isolate Russia “politically, financially and economically” and to put “maximum pressure on Putin” “so that his aggressive war activities are stopped as soon as possible”.
+++ 22:52 Wladimir Klitschko asks for support and thanks Germany +++
The brother of the mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko, asks for further support for his country. “We have already received a lot, especially from Germany,” he said on ZDF and thanked him. However, this is not enough. “The attacker, the aggressor keeps going,” said the former world boxing champion. Financial aid, food, medicine, weapons and economic isolation of Russia would be needed from the West.
+++ 22:22 Regardless of the end of the war: USA expect a permanently higher troop presence in Europe +++
In view of the conflict with Russia, the US government does not rule out a permanent increased presence of US troops in Europe. “Regardless of how this war ends and when it ends, the security environment in Europe will have changed,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in Washington. You have to react to that. “We don’t know what that will look like,” he continues. But one is open to talks about whether there should be a larger permanent presence of US troops in Europe. Due to the troop reinforcements for the Ukraine war, there are now more than 100,000 US soldiers in Europe, around 40,000 of them in Germany.
+++ 22:07 Again plans for a humanitarian corridor in Mariupol on Friday +++
According to demands from Germany and France, Russia wants to make a new attempt for a humanitarian corridor from the embattled port city of Mariupol this Friday. The Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced in the evening a ceasefire for the morning and the planned start of the evacuation from 9 a.m. CEST. People should be taken out of the city with the participation of the Red Cross and the United Nations refugee agency, says Major General Mikhail Mizintsev.
You can read about previous developments here.