Swift Exclusion & Explosions in Ukraine

Dusseldorf The EU has responded to Russia’s ongoing war offensive in Ukraine with another package of sanctions. Even the announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would put the nuclear arsenal on alert did nothing to change the tightening of the measures imposed.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the entire airspace over the member states would be closed to all Russian aircraft. This also expressly applies to the oligarchs’ private planes, which can no longer use them to fly to Switzerland – the Confederates continue to refer to their neutrality and do not participate in the EU’s punitive measures.

In addition, the state media Russia Today and Sputnik will be banned as tools for war propaganda in the EU. Von der Leyen announced that ways would also be developed to stop the “spreading of Russian lies” on all channels. As a further measure, the EU announced plans to directly finance arms and military equipment for a country involved in an armed conflict for the first time. Insiders speak of a volume of half a billion euros.

In addition, the sanctions will also be tightened against Belarus, whose President has explicitly described Lukashenko von der Leyen as “another aggressor in this war”. For example, “dual-use” goods, which can be used for both civil and military purposes, are subject to an export ban.

Talks between Ukraine and Russia

Belarus features prominently this weekend as close ally Russia. Four days after the beginning of the Ukraine war, there will be the first negotiations on a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a meeting between Ukrainian negotiators and Russian diplomats. It should take place in a place on the Belarusian border near the Pripyat River.

In his message distributed on Sunday via the Telegram news service, Selenski did not name an exact place or time of the meeting. Russia had previously announced that a delegation had flown to Belarus. According to its own statements, Moscow had previously proposed a meeting in the Belarusian capital Minsk, moderated by China. The three-way alliance was not able to assert itself with this suggestion: Russian combat units are stationed in Belarus.

Zelensky’s office said President Alexander Lukashenko took responsibility for “grounding all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory during the Ukrainian delegation’s trip, talks and return.” The Belarusian dictator previously acknowledged that two Russian missiles had been launched from Belarusian territory.

Historic special session of the Bundestag

A historic special session of the Bundestag took place in Berlin on Sunday morning. In response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Germany plans to massively increase its defense spending. Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a “special fund” of 100 billion euros.

“We will use the funds for necessary investments and armaments projects,” said the SPD politician. “From now on we will invest more than two percent of the gross domestic product in our defense – year after year.” Scholz also appealed to the entire Bundestag to anchor the special fund for the Bundeswehr in the Basic Law.

It is a U-turn in foreign and defense policy. “As democrats, as Europeans, we stand by your side – on the right side of history,” said Scholz on the Russian attack on Ukraine. The Federal Chancellor described Putin’s government in Russia as an “oppressive regime”, which apparently means that the Russian ruler is now also officially classified as a “dictator”.

After the session in the Bundestag and a few minutes before the peace talks were announced, he had put his country’s nuclear forces on alert. Putin referred to what he saw as the aggressive behavior of Western countries. Here, security experts have since commented that Putin had been taken by surprise by the determined reaction of the EU and NATO and is now trying to increase the pressure ahead of the pending negotiations to end the hostilities.

NATO countries supply arms to Ukraine

The European Union, the United States, Canada and Japan had decided to exclude Russian financial institutions from the Swift banking communications network in response to the war of aggression against Ukraine. In addition, practically the entire European airspace has been closed to Russian airlines. In Germany, the airspace closure came into effect on Sunday at 3 p.m. and will initially apply for three months.

NATO member states are also continuing to expand military support for Ukraine. According to information from the alliance headquarters, thousands of anti-tank weapons, hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles and thousands of small arms are being sent to the partner country. Diplomats stressed that military support was not provided through NATO as an organization, but on the basis of national government decisions.

Meanwhile, Russian troops are increasingly cornering Kiev. A large convoy of Russian military vehicles is advancing on the Ukrainian capital from the south, adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, Vadym Denysenko, said on Sunday, according to the strana.news portal. “But we know where they are going, where they are going, and we are prepared.” According to Ukrainian sources, there was fierce fighting over an airfield in the town of Vasylkiv.

According to the US, the Russian advance on Kiev has stalled. The reason for this is the continuing resistance of the Ukrainians and a lack of fuel in the Russian armed forces, says the representative of the Ministry of Defense in Washington.

Only example of the Antonov transport aircraft destroyed

So far, Russian troops have attacked Kiev primarily from the north-west and north-east. According to information from Ukraine, the Ukrainian army repelled heavy attacks in Hostomel and Irpin. The world’s largest aircraft, the Antonov AN 225, is said to have been destroyed at an airfield near Hostomel during the clashes. There was only one example of this aircraft.

According to Ukrainian sources, several Russian tanks were destroyed in Pryluky, east of Kiev. According to the governor, the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv is once again completely in Ukrainian hands.

In the small town of Bucha, footage showed many destroyed tanks. There is also verified video of military vehicles firing at houses, causing damage. The place is about 25 kilometers north-west of the center of Kiev.

The Russian army accused the Ukrainians of using banned phosphorus bombs in the fighting near Kiev. Ukraine, for its part, claims that Russia is also targeting civilian buildings. According to its own information, Ukraine has filed a lawsuit against Russia before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Meanwhile, on Ukraine’s western border, the number of people fleeing the war is increasing. The UN refugee organization says that 368,000 people have left Ukraine so far.

This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the developments in the Ukraine war:

Meanwhile, NATO member Turkey is threatening Russia with blocking the Bosphorus and Dardanelles for warships. In an interview with CNN Türk, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu refers to the international Treaty of Montreux, which regulates access to and from the Black Sea. Turkey can restrict the passage of warships in times of war, says Cavusoglu.

More than 100,000 people protested against Putin’s war in Berlin on Sunday. The crowds reached from the Victory Column to the Brandenburg Gate. People also took to the streets in other European cities. In the Czech Republic, thousands of people have gathered in Prague and Brünn (Brno) for peaceful demonstrations of solidarity for Ukraine. The news portal Idnes.cz even spoke of “tens of thousands” alone on Wenceslas Square in Prague.

In Russian cities, people also took to the streets. According to independent observers, the Russian police arrested more than 900 people. Videos of cheers in Belarus also surfaced on social media. People laid flowers in front of the Ukrainian embassy in the capital Minsk.

With agency material

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