07/09/2022
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 03:31 Pope’s visit to Kyiv possible this summer +++
Pope Francis could travel to Kyiv this summer. This was announced by his most important foreign policy adviser, Curial Archbishop Paul Gallagher, on the Italian broadcaster Rai1. The 85-year-old pontiff will discuss a visit to Kyiv with his staff after returning from Canada in late July, the secretary for relations with states said. When asked if such a trip was possible in August, Gallagher replied: “It’s possible, I wouldn’t rule it out.” But it depends on the condition and health of Francis.
+++ 01:45 Zelenskyj: “Work every day on the foreign policy front” +++
In the Russian war of aggression against his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to continue sending messages to other countries. “We work every day and under all circumstances as much as possible on the foreign policy front,” he says in his evening video message. His video address to the Slovenian parliament on Friday was the 24th speech to an EU member state’s chamber of deputies. Three speeches to the parliaments of the remaining 27 EU member states are still pending. “I hope that the other three EU countries will also feel that these appeals are not about politics, but about protecting our common freedom, and that’s why we will get to the point where I can say one day: All 27 parliaments of the European Union hear the freedom struggle better than any Russian manipulation,” emphasizes the President.
+++ 00:21 DIY stores are recording high demand for gas heating alternatives +++
In view of rising energy prices and a fear of gas shortages, the demand for alternatives to gas heating is skyrocketing. The Bauhaus chain has seen a significant increase in demand for alternative heat sources compared to the previous year, says a spokesman for the editorial network Germany. “This includes wood and pellet stoves and all types of electric radiators.” According to the company, the demand for electricity-powered alternatives has also doubled in the Hornbach DIY stores compared to the previous year. Insulation materials are also very much in demand.
+++ 21:32 USA send Ukraine more HIMARS rocket launchers +++
The US wants to support Ukraine in the war against Russia with further arms deliveries worth around 400 million US dollars. The new package includes four HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, 1,000 high-precision 155mm artillery shells, artillery surveillance radars and spare parts, according to a senior US Department of Defense official. With the new rocket launchers, the Ukrainian armed forces will then have twelve HIMARS systems at their disposal. The Pentagon representative rejects statements by the Russian military that two copies were destroyed. All HIMARS delivered to Ukraine are still in use. Since the beginning of the war at the end of February, the United States has said it has pledged or already delivered weapons and equipment worth 7.3 billion US dollars to Ukraine.
+++ 20:55 Kremlin accuses Baerbock of lying +++
Russia accuses the western states of trying to isolate Moscow at the G20 meeting in Bali. “The G7 plan to boycott Russia” has “failed,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Telegram. She also accused Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of the Greens of “lying” after she accused Moscow of being “not interested” in exchanges with the other G20 countries. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov left the meeting at the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Indonesia at Baerbock’s speech. “What absolute nonsense,” said Zakharova of Baerbock’s statements.
+++ 20:34 inflation in Russia falls slightly +++
On the back of a strong ruble and weak consumer demand, inflation in Russia is falling slightly. The consumer price index was 15.9 percent higher in June than in the previous year, according to the statistics agency Rosstat. In May, annual inflation was still 17.1 percent.
+++ 20:12 Scholz promises “highest speed” in securing gas supplies +++
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz assures the German economy of “great speed” in securing gas supplies in the short term and establishing a CO2-neutral energy supply. “Our ambitious goals can only be achieved with great speed,” said the SPD politician in Munich after a meeting with the four leading associations BDI, BDA, DIHK and ZDH. When it comes to gas supply, the government will try “at an unprecedented pace” to have liquid gas terminals and gas pipelines built on the north German coast. “My goal: We won’t let anyone buy our guts.”
Read more about it here.
You can read earlier developments of the Ukraine war here.