May 22, 2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 02:42 Instead of compulsory military service: FDP would reactivate reservists +++
In the debate about a possible reintroduction of conscription, FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr appealed to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to reach out to reservists. “The Bundeswehr reserves need a clear signal that they are needed. Together with the active members, we have a potential of over a million soldiers,” Dürr told the Funke newspapers.
+++ 01:45 EU Council Presidency gives Ukraine hope for start of negotiations +++
Ukraine and Moldova can hope for a quick start to EU accession negotiations. After a ministerial meeting in Brussels, the current Belgian EU Council Presidency made it clear that it is working towards scheduling a first conference of negotiating delegations by the end of June. “We are doing our utmost to reach an agreement,” explains Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib. It is possible that negotiations will start in the next 40 days. Before accession talks can begin, the EU states must unanimously approve so-called negotiating frameworks. These establish guidelines and principles for the accession talks with each candidate country.
+++ 00:39 Baerbock supports Pistorius’ application for new Ukraine aid +++
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock strongly supports the call by Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius for an increase in aid to Ukraine by 3.8 billion euros this year. “I completely agree with the Defense Minister on this. And not just with him, but also with the Interior Minister,” said the Green politician in an interview with the newspaper “Bild” in Kiev. “We need a security budget.” Our European peace order, our European continent, has never been challenged so directly on our doorstep. No one can take responsibility for saying: “Back then, we were not prepared to spend billions more on peace. And that then led to this Russian war of aggression spreading across Europe.”
+++ 00:01 Economist sees Germany as a threat to Europe’s security +++
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) is calling on the federal government to spend more on defense. If necessary, Germany would have to take on more debt, says IfW President Moritz Schularick in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. “German budget policy is a security risk for Europe.” In order to close huge gaps in Germany’s defense capabilities, the Federal Republic will have to spend around three percent of its economic output on defense in the foreseeable future.
+++ 23:16 Baerbock criticizes Russian nuclear exercise +++
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock sharply criticizes the new exercise by Russian nuclear forces. The fact that Russia is holding the exercise near the Ukrainian border is a “sign that they want to pull out all the stops, including, if in doubt, the uncertainty,” says the Green politician on ZDF. “The Russian president is simply trying to wear down this society, which has wanted nothing other than to live in peace and freedom for two years,” adds Baerbock.
+++ 22:11 Zelenskyj describes the situation in Donetsk as extremely difficult +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj describes the situation on the front in eastern Ukraine in the Donetsk region as extremely difficult. In the directions of Kramatorsk, Kurakhove and Pokrovsk there is the most fighting, says Zelensky in his video message distributed in the evening. On the other hand, the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kharkiv region managed to destroy the occupiers. The results are noticeable, says Zelenskyj after a meeting with the Ukrainian military leadership.
+++ 21:38 Ukraine: Situation in Kharkiv region stabilized +++
Ukrainian troops say they have stabilized the situation in the Kharkov region. That’s what the spokesman says Khortytsya operational grouping, Nazar Voloshyn, on Ukrainian television. “Currently, the operational environment in the Kharkiv region remains complex, it is changing dynamically,” Voloshyn said. “But our associations and other units involved managed to stabilize the situation, especially in the city of Vovchansk.” According to Voloshyn, the Russian military is continuing its breakthrough attempts near Vovchansk.
You can read all previous developments here.