Dirty Bomb? Russia brings allegations to the UN

Kyiv/Berlin/New York/Moscow Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Tuesday. He arrived in the capital, Kyiv, by train in the morning. There he will also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later in the day. At other stations, Steinmeier wants to get an overview of the destruction caused by the Russian attacks with his own eyes. He is in Ukraine for the first time since the start of the war on February 24.

Meanwhile, Russia wants to bring its accusations, criticized by the West as unfounded, that Ukraine is planning to use a “dirty” radioactive bomb in the war before the UN Security Council. A corresponding discussion of the most powerful body of the United Nations behind closed doors is to take place on Tuesday after a meeting on the conflict in Syria – probably in the early afternoon (local time). That was announced on Monday from diplomatic circles in New York.

Steinmeier in Kyiv

It is the Federal President’s third attempt to travel there. In the past week, this had been postponed at short notice for security reasons. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), which is responsible for his protection, wrote on Twitter that it had “recommended, in view of the current risk situation, that Federal President Steinmeier’s planned trip to Ukraine be postponed”.

In the days before, Russia had repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s infrastructure with rockets and drones, severely damaging the electricity and heat supply. The capital Kyiv was also attacked.

Steinmeier actually wanted to travel to Kyiv in mid-April – together with the presidents of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The initiative for this came from Poland’s President Andrzej Duda.

Immediately before the start came a cancellation for Steinmeier from Kyiv. The discharge was seen in Berlin as an unprecedented diplomatic and political affront. The situation only eased again after a telephone conversation between the two presidents in early May.

Russia maintains ‘dirty’ bomb claim

Despite Western rebuffs, Russia is sticking to the claim that Kyiv wants to discredit Moscow with a “dirty” – i.e. nuclear-contaminated – bomb. Russia made the allegations public on Sunday, while Ukraine, the United States, France and Great Britain rejected them. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said there was “concrete information about the institutes in Ukraine that have the technology to build such a “dirty bomb”.

Meanwhile, Kyiv itself requested inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In the coming days, experts from the organization would examine two Ukrainian nuclear facilities that had been mentioned by Russia, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi announced on Monday evening. However, these locations would be regularly inspected by the IAEA anyway, one of them most recently in September. “No unknown nuclear activity or materials were discovered there.”

US National Security Council communications director John Kirby said Monday that there was absolutely no truth to the Russian claim. “It’s just not true,” Kirby said.

Eight months of war: Selensky attests to Russia’s widespread failure

Eight months after the start of the Russian war of aggression, Zelensky attested to Moscow’s failure across the board. “Ukraine is breaking the so-called second strongest army in the world,” said Zelensky in his video message distributed in Kyiv on Monday evening. Referring to the start of the war eight months ago, on February 24, the President said that Russia’s military influence had fizzled out today. “The feeling of defeat in Russia is growing,” said Zelenskiy. The country is becoming increasingly isolated internationally.

White House: No negotiations with Russia without Ukraine

The White House reiterated that the US will not hold direct negotiations with Russia without Kiev’s participation. That’s what they said from the start, “and that remains the approach,” said National Security Council communications director John Kirby on Monday.

Earlier, in a letter to the White House, 30 members of US President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party suggested keeping the door open for direct negotiations with Moscow in order to bring about a quicker end to the war. Kirby emphasized that from the US point of view only the Ukrainians should decide on negotiations.

Lindner wants more funds for military support to Ukraine

Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) wants to increase the funds for military support to Ukraine in the coming year. According to the ministry, the funds should increase to at least two billion euros in the next year, so far around 800 million euros have been provided for in the draft budget. Specifically, it is about military “training aid”.

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In a letter to Lindner, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) had previously requested significantly more money for military support for Ukraine in the coming year than previously planned. In the current budget, spending funds of two billion euros are therefore estimated.

Ukrainian Minister: Reconstruction also helps Germany

Ahead of the Ukraine conference in Berlin on Tuesday, the Ukrainian government is urging investments in the country’s infrastructure to be promoted. “It is important to understand that regardless of the war, reconstruction must begin now,” Regional Development Minister Oleksiy Chernyshev told the German Press Agency. Reconstruction in the reconquered areas was also in Germany’s direct interest.

Ukraine hopes Germany will transfer $500 million a month to fund its wartime budget. “It’s about a reliable schedule – at least for the next six months,” said Selenski’s economic adviser, Alexander Rodnyansky, to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Tuesday). “We need four to five billion dollars for our budget every month. We believe that Germany could take on around $500 million a month, especially with a view to 2023.” Ukraine hopes that the EU will contribute around $2 billion a month.

What will be important on Tuesday

At the invitation of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, international experts will discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine after the end of the war on Tuesday. Scholz and von der Leyen have described reconstruction as a “generational task” and called for a “Marshall Plan” for the country attacked by Russia – modeled on the US reconstruction program for Germany and all of Europe after World War II.

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