03/21/2023
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 02:48 Scholz gives insights into phone calls with Putin +++
Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave an insight into his phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The SPD politician reported that these talks lasted up to an hour and a half at the Ständehaus meeting of the “Rheinische Post” in Düsseldorf. The last was last December. Sometimes Putin does without the German translation because he already understood, and sometimes the Kremlin boss also speaks German – “if it fits,” says Scholz.
+++ 23:50 Ukraine: Russian cruise missiles destroyed in Crimea +++
According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Russian cruise missiles were destroyed in an explosion in Crimea. The detonation occurred in Dzhankoi when the weapons were being transported by train. For his part, the Russian governor on the peninsula, Sergei Askyonov, announced that debris damaged a house and a shop in the city after the anti-aircraft defenses were deployed. One person was injured. The information cannot be independently verified.
+++ 22:18 Heusgen: Russia is a “discount gas station” for China +++
According to the head of the Munich Security Conference, the visit of China’s head of state Xi Jinping to Russian President Vladimir Putin is important for both statesmen. Putin wants to show his people that “Russia is not isolated – last week he received an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court,” says Christoph Heusgen on ntv. “He’s sort of an outcast of the international community now.” The three-day state visit suits him well, especially since the war is not going the way Putin had imagined and the country is also not doing well economically. Referring to the advantages for China’s state and party leader and Russia’s oil and gas wealth, Heusgen says: “Russia is now a discount gas station for China. Of course, Xi appreciates that.” Xi Jinping needs Russia in system competition with the USA. Because of Russia’s self-isolation, Putin is now a junior partner for China. Xi began a three-day state visit to Russia on Monday.
+++ 21:42 reports of explosions at a military airport in Crimea +++
Several explosions are said to have occurred near the Crimean town of Jankoy, which is also home to a Russian-run military airport. It is therefore an area far behind the current front line in the Ukraine war and in the middle of Russia’s sphere of influence. Shots and several explosions were reported reports the medium “Euromaidan Press” citing local media. A Russian air defense unit is said to have shot down a drone. Also the political scientist Maria Avdeeva, who lives in Kharkiv writes on Twitter of “reports of a drone attack in Dzhankoy” and classifies: “Russia has developed Dzhankoy into its largest military base in occupied Crimea and uses its military airfield extensively.” Since last year, there have been frequent explosions in Crimea, especially in the vicinity of military installations. There were also reports of this in Dschankoj around December. It is still unclear from the most recent reports, for example, how many impacts there were and what damage they caused. With the first reports, numerous videos appeared immediately, the verification of which is pending.
+++ 21:13 Scholz: There must be no “dictated peace” between Russia and Ukraine +++
Chancellor Olaf Scholz sees no possibility of peace between Russia and Ukraine without a withdrawal of Russian troops. “It cannot come down to a dictated peace by Russia towards Ukraine,” said Scholz at an event organized by the “Rheinische Post” in Düsseldorf. “We have to be prepared for the possibility that it may take longer,” he said when asked about the duration of the war. “It could be out of balance for a long time.” Russian President Vladimir Putin must not win the war, Scholz affirmed. Boundaries should not be pushed by force.
You can read earlier developments in the Ukraine war here.