The essentials in brief:
- Klitschko: “We’re winning this senseless war”
- SIPRI: Ukraine was the third largest arms importer in 2022
- Ischinger: Initiate the peace process for Ukraine
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko has praised Germany’s support in Ukraine’s defense against Russia. “Germany is one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine in terms of financial aid and arms deliveries,” Klitschko told the editorial network Germany. He once again thanks the Germans for this.
At the same time, Klitschko called for more speed with further weapon deliveries. “It’s true, the German government is far too slow in making decisions, and we’re paying the highest price for it: the lives of our soldiers and the lives of our citizens.” Nevertheless, Klitschko was confident of victory. “We are very, very motivated. We are winning this pointless war. Russia has no chance.”
The mayor expressly warned of the consequences of a defeat: “Should we lose, Putin would attack Poland.” The aim of the Russian president is to build up the old Soviet empire. “For many years, that included a part of Germany. That’s why it’s so important to support Ukraine with weapons. We fight so that Germans don’t have to fight.”
Regarding possible negotiations with the Kremlin, Klitschko said: “We are ready to find compromises, but only when the last Russian soldier has left Ukraine.” Handing over part of Ukraine to Russia is not a compromise. The Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which the leadership in Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, also belongs to Ukraine.
SIPRI: Ukraine rises to become the third largest arms importer
As a result of the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine has become the third largest importer of armaments in the world. This emerges from a new report by the Stockholm peace research institute SIPRI. Only Qatar and India placed ahead of Ukraine last year.
Destined for Ukraine: Leopard tanks
The main suppliers of Ukraine were the USA, Poland and Germany. The armaments were of crucial importance for efforts to stop the Russian offensive, writes SIPRI. Russia, on the other hand, relied almost exclusively on weapons it manufactured itself, but also procured drones from Iran.
Overall, arms imports in Europe almost doubled in 2022 – compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 93 percent in the wake of the Ukraine war. “The invasion has really triggered a significant increase in arms demand in Europe,” said Pieter Wezeman, co-author of the SIPRI report.
Selenskyj reports very high Russian losses
According to Ukraine, the Russian military continues to suffer very high losses in the fierce fighting for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. In less than a week, more than 1,100 Russians died near Bakhmut fighting Ukrainian troops, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. In addition, 1,500 Russian soldiers were so badly injured that they were no longer operational.
A self-propelled howitzer fires on Russian units on the front line near Bakhmut
Zelenskyy posthumously honored a sniper killed in the Russian war of aggression with the title “Hero of Ukraine”. The 42-year-old is “a man who will be remembered forever,” said the head of state. A video of the unarmed man who was shot after uttering the slogan “Glory to Ukraine” caused international outrage.
Ischinger: Initiate the peace process for Ukraine
The former head of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), Wolfgang Ischinger, has spoken out in favor of preparing framework conditions for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. “Apart from arms deliveries and financial support, we have to offer perspectives to the growing critical chorus of questions in the USA just as we do in Germany,” says a guest article by the 76-year-old for the Berlin “Tagesspiegel”.
Headed the MSC from 2008 to 2022: Wolfgang Ischinger
Ischinger said: “Of course, it can’t be a question of demanding that Ukraine be willing to negotiate right now.” Ukraine alone decides on this, and such a step would currently amount to a partial capitulation to the aggressor Russia. But: “It is high time that we set in motion a peace process for Ukraine. The West – including the federal government – is (…) showing itself to be completely unnecessary when the understandable question about a peace initiative is repeatedly answered by the stereotypical The answer comes that the conditions for negotiations are not given for the time being.”
wa/ack (dpa, rtr, afp)
This article will be continuously updated on the day of its publication. Reports from the combat zones cannot be independently verified.