02/18/2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 06:32 Ukrainian Foreign Minister expects Taurus delivery +++
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expects that the federal government will still decide to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. “The fact that you don’t hear a clear no is an answer in itself,” Kuleba told journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. “We always trust that such problems will be solved at some point, because that’s what life has taught us over the past two years.” Every discussion about arms deliveries began with a no, the minister emphasizes, referring to previous debates about the delivery German weapons of new quality. For example, before the federal government approved the export of Leopard battle tanks, it also hesitated for a long time.
In the words of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Russian capabilities must be “hit deep in the occupied territories.”
(Photo: IMAGO/Ukrinform)
+++ 06:00 China calls for peace talks – as early as possible +++
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi calls for early peace talks in Ukraine. China has worked tirelessly to promote peace talks in Ukraine and is calling for the negotiations to be resumed as soon as possible, the ministry said. China is neither the originator nor a participant in the Ukraine crisis, as Wang puts it. It neither stood idly by nor exploited the crisis to profit from it.
+++ 05:37 Buschmann wants to see Putin in court +++
Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann reiterates his hope of seeing Russian President Vladimir Putin on trial for alleged war crimes in connection with the war of aggression against Ukraine. “I hope and wish that he will have to answer in court at some point,” Buschmann told “Bild am Sonntag” (BAMS). “I know that we need a lot of patience for this.” Regarding Putin’s personal responsibility, Buschmann says: “If someone gives the order to specifically violate international criminal law, then that power holder is potentially a war criminal.”
+++ 04:43 Shahed drone debris discovered in Moldova +++
Fragments of a Shahed drone used by Russia in the war against Ukraine were found in Moldova on Saturday. This is reported by the “Kyiv Independent”, citing the local border police. Accordingly, the drone debris was discovered near the border village of Etulia, a Moldovan border settlement about 15 kilometers northeast of the Ukrainian Danube port of Reni and almost 40 kilometers northwest of Izmail. It is not the first discovery of its kind in the uninvolved country.
+++ 03:37 Great Britain extends visas for Ukrainian refugees +++
Britain grants Ukrainian refugees in their country an 18-month visa extension. “The visa extension gives Ukrainians in the UK security and certainty about their future as the war continues. We will continue to provide a safe haven for those fleeing the conflict,” said Migration Minister Tom Pursglove in a statement. According to the Interior Ministry, the extension affects more than 283,000 Ukrainians. From early 2025 they will be able to apply to stay in the UK and will continue to have the right to access work, healthcare and education, the government said.
+++ 02:43 Biden warns members of Congress not to act “absurdly” and “unethically” +++
In a conversation with his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Joe Biden expressed his optimism about further billions in military aid for his country. He told Zelenskyj in a telephone conversation that he was “confident that we will get the money,” Biden told journalists after attending church in the US state of Delaware. Biden says it would be “absurd” and “unethical” for representatives and senators not to pass funding for the Ukrainian military. “I will fight to get them the ammunition they need.” With regard to the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, the White House explains that the Ukrainian soldiers had to “ration” their ammunition before the withdrawal because their supplies were depleted “as a result of Congress’s inaction.” had run out. This resulted in “Russia’s first significant gains in months.”
+++ 01:54 Several dead after Russian missile attacks +++
At least two people were killed in a Russian rocket attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk. The rescue workers had recovered the bodies of a man and a woman from the rubble, said regional governor Vadim Filaschkin on Saturday. The rescue workers were looking for another person among the rubble. Several houses were hit in the attack. Filaschkin had previously spoken of a family of four that was probably among the rubble. Russian shells also hit a school in the nearby town of Slovyansk. Rescue teams are looking for at least one person who is said to be trapped under the pile of rubble. Further north, in the city of Kupyansk, one person was killed when a two-story house was hit by Russian shells, according to the governor of the Kharkiv region.
+++ 00:47 Zelenskyj believes in a “smart decision” in the US Congress +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his own words, continues to believe in a “wise decision” by the US Congress for new billions in military aid for his country. After a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden, Zelensky wrote on X: “I am grateful to have President Biden’s unconditional support.” Zelensky added: “I also believe that the US Congress will make a wise decision.” The White House said Biden called Zelensky “to underscore the United States’ commitment to continuing to support Ukraine.”
You can read all previous developments here.