Ukraine war in the live ticker: +++ 04:07 Rheinmetall sees success with “Zeitenwende” +++

01/27/2024

Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 04:07 Rheinmetall sees success with “Zeitenwende” +++

The arms company Rheinmetall is satisfied with the turnaround announced by the federal government and praises the faster procurement processes. The chairman of the board, Armin Papperger, tells the “Bild” newspaper: “A lot has changed for the better in military procurement. The Chancellor, the Defense Minister and the top of the procurement office have pulled out all the stops.” Last year, Rheinmetall alone received orders or framework agreements worth more than ten billion euros from the federal government for the Bundeswehr and the Ukraine. In the current year, this amount will increase to at least 15 billion euros. “The pace is fast: What would have previously taken ten years is now accomplished in a few months,” says Papperger.

+++ 03:04 Biden ready to make major concessions in return for aid to Ukraine +++
US President Joe Biden is urging Congress to pass a compromise proposal from the Senate in the struggle for new aid to Ukraine. The non-partisan draft aims to link stricter measures to curb irregular migration across the southern border with fresh financial resources for Kiev. The proposals represent the “toughest and fairest reform package to secure the border that we have ever had in our country,” explains Biden. Among other things, he promises to use a new emergency regulation to “shut down our border” if US authorities are overwhelmed by a surge of migrants as soon as he can sign the bill after congressional approval.

+++ 23:56 Scholz travels to Washington +++
According to a media report, Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Washington in the second week of February to meet with US President Joe Biden. The conversation should be about further aid for Ukraine, reports the Bloomberg agency.

+++ 22:25 Zelenskyj sees “positive dynamics” in Ukrainian arms production +++
Ukraine is increasing its own defense production, says President Zelensky in his evening video message. The Ukrainian production of weapons and ammunition is showing positive dynamics. “I am grateful to everyone who is committed, to everyone who is committed to our own opportunities – in Ukraine,” says Zelensky.

+++ 21:41 Report: USA wants to station nuclear weapons in Great Britain +++
One report According to the British Telegraph, the US is planning to station nuclear weapons in Britain for the first time in 15 years. The background is the increasing threat from Russia, the newspaper writes, citing documents from the Pentagon. Accordingly, the USA intends to station nuclear warheads at Lakenheath air base in Suffolk.

+++ 21:26 Trump blocks aid to Ukraine +++
In the dispute between Republicans and Democrats in the USA, there is still no sign of an agreement on further aid to Ukraine. The Republican leader of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, is reportedly warning that a bill from the Senate would be “dead” by the time it reaches its chamber if rumors about its contents are correct.

According to US media, former US President Donald Trump has now also intervened. Trump is said to have urged his party colleagues in private conversations in recent weeks not to agree to a compromise negotiated in the Senate. Trump wanted to prevent US President Joe Biden from being successful on the issue of migration in the election campaign, it was said. Last year, Biden requested billions in support for Ukraine and new money from Congress to tighten migration policy on the border with Mexico. Both are part of the same bill.

+++ 20:33 Kuleba: Danish F-16 delivery is on schedule +++
Preparations for the delivery of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark to Ukraine are proceeding as planned, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at a joint press conference with his Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. At the beginning of January, the Danish newspaper Berlingske reported that the delivery of six F-16s to Kiev could be delayed by up to six months. “Many thanks to Lars for his assurance that preparations for the delivery of F-16s from Denmark are going according to plan,” says Kuleba.

In mid-August 2023, Denmark promised to deliver 19 F-16s to Ukraine. The first delivery of six aircraft is scheduled to take place in spring 2024, with the rest to be delivered by 2025.

+++ 19:54 Drone alarm in Ukraine +++
Ukrainian air defense warns of Shahed drones of the Russian army over the territory of Ukraine. The reports the broadcaster RBC-Ukraine. The drones were spotted on the border between the Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions. According to the report, they are keeping a northwesterly course.

You can read all previous developments here.