Deutschlands Kanzler Olaf Scholz hat in einem Telefonat mit dem russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin einen vollständigen Rückzug der russischen Truppen aus der Ukraine gefordert. In dem 90-minütigen Gespräch habe Scholz darauf gedrungen, "dass es so schnell wie möglich zu einer diplomatischen Lösung komme". Diese müsse auf einem Waffenstillstand, einem vollständigen Rückzug Russlands und der Achtung der territorialen Integrität und Souveränität der Ukraine basieren, hieß es.
No turning point yet
According to a representative of one western country, it is too early to speak of a turning point in the war after Ukraine’s recent successes in the east of the country. But it is going to have a great effect – both for the combat operations and psychologically. According to its own statements, Kyiv wants to have liberated at least 300 towns with almost 150,000 inhabitants on 3,800 square kilometers in the eastern region of Kharkiv in one week. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said Tuesday in Balaklija, one of the recaptured cities. These are only the confirmed numbers, she said, according to a message on Telegram. The liberated territory in the Kharkiv region is probably almost twice as large. There will be more data on Wednesday, it said.
Borrell: Sanctions hurt Russian military
According to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the European Union’s sanctions against Moscow are clearly damaging the Russian military. Russia is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain its weapons and military equipment, Borrell told MPs in Strasbourg. The reason for this is that around half of Russian technology depends on European imports. However, these imports have come to a standstill due to the sanctions. After the Russian invasion, the USA, the EU, Great Britain and other countries imposed severe punitive measures against Russia.
Borrell added that the EU sanctions already have “very serious” consequences for Moscow. About two-thirds of all Russian civil aircraft could no longer fly because their components came from Western countries. The punitive measures also prevented the import of spare parts. In addition, Russia is no longer able “to overcome the great military losses it has suffered”.
Ukraine has been repelling the Russian war of aggression since the end of February. According to official figures, Kyiv has already recaptured more than 6,000 square kilometers in southern and eastern Ukraine since the beginning of September. Russia had meanwhile controlled more than 20 percent of the neighboring country. The information from the war zone cannot be fully independently verified.