02/27/2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 03:50 Kiev calls on Ukrainians who have fled to defend their homeland +++
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba calls on his refugee compatriots to return and help defend their homeland. “We respect everyone’s individual decision, but we also call on all Ukrainians who have fled the country since the beginning of the all-out invasion to consider returning to their homeland,” Kuleba said in an interview with the Irish Times. Some people would not have this choice for health or other personal reasons. “But those who have a choice, we invite you to return and help Ukraine fight and survive with your direct personal contribution,” he explains.
+++ 02:35 Czech Republic’s ammunition pact already has 15 participants +++
Around 15 countries have expressed interest in the Czech ammunition initiative. “A number of states have joined the initiative in the middle of the negotiations, or my colleagues have told me that they will discuss the initiative quickly,” said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala following a meeting in Paris. “I think that the action will have broad support in this way, I estimate that it will be 15 states,” he adds. The Czech Republic is leading the initiative to raise money for a rapid purchase of artillery ammunition from third countries for Ukraine.
+++ 01:23 Netherlands gives 100 million euros for ammunition pact +++
The Netherlands wants to contribute 100 million euros to a Czech initiative to buy ammunition for Ukraine. This is what Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says after a meeting in Paris called by French President Emmanuel Macron to boost support for Ukraine. The Czech Republic is leading the initiative to raise money for a rapid purchase of artillery ammunition from third countries for Ukraine.
+++ 00:25 Traffic light discipline: Mützenich wants to see the Taurus dispute over +++
After the Chancellor’s clear no to the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles, SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich is calling on the FDP and the Greens to end the coalition dispute over the course to Ukraine. “Some in the coalition don’t think about the end. We live in difficult times, a lot of things are wavering. The fact that some now think they have to look for personal gains in territory doesn’t do anyone any good. Everyone has to pull themselves together now,” Mützenich told “Stern” . Mützenich is clearly on the side of the Chancellor in the Taurus decision. “I want to give the Chancellor the space to weigh up decisions and ultimately make them. Some in the coalition are trying to narrow this space. Unfortunately, the handling of the Ukraine war has also been used for this purpose. The fact that the Chancellor does not give in to this constant pressure is important important.”
+++ 23:26 Macron does not rule out sending Western soldiers to Ukraine +++
French President Emmanuel Macron does not rule out sending Western soldiers to Ukraine. “There is currently no consensus on this. But nothing must be excluded in order to achieve the goal,” said Macron at the end of an international Ukraine conference in Paris in the evening. The goal is that Russia is not allowed to win. In the afternoon, populist Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico claimed that individual Western countries were considering sending their soldiers to Ukraine. “Several NATO and EU member states are considering sending their soldiers to the territory of Ukraine on a bilateral level,” Fico said after a cabinet meeting in Bratislava. Such agreements would likely be agreed “soon,” he added. (See entry at 3:54 p.m.)
+++ 22:26 Commander-in-Chief Syrskyj is said to be working on two versions of the war plan +++
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky is currently developing two versions of a war plan in the event Kiev receives U.S. aid and in the event there is no agreement in the Republican-led House of Representatives. This is what President Volodymyr Zelenskyj says in one Interview with CNN. According to him, without US help this year, Ukraine will have difficulties not only in preparing for a new offensive, but also in defending itself along the current front line. One version of the Syrsky plan assumes that if Washington provides help, Ukraine will be able to push back Russian troops. If not, she will concentrate on defense, the president said.
+++ 21:58 Zelenskyj: Only a third of the artillery ammunition promised by the EU was delivered +++
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine has so far received less than a third of the million artillery shells promised by the EU. “Of the one million shells that the European Union promised us, not 50 percent arrived, but unfortunately only 30 percent,” said Zelensky in Kiev. The EU promised last year to deliver one million artillery shells to Kiev by the end of March. However, in January, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had to admit that member states had only delivered 330,000 rounds of ammunition. By the end of March there should be a total of around 500,000 shots.
You can read all previous developments here.