Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation in his country’s hard-fought east as continuing to be difficult. “The situation at the front and especially in the Donetsk region – near Bakhmut and Wuhledar – remains extremely tense,” Zelensky said in his evening video address on Friday. Despite waves of Russian attacks, which have been particularly violent for months, a United Nations representative said no new large movements of refugees could be identified.
Meanwhile, after a controversial statement by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), the federal government reiterated that Germany was by no means a party to the war.
Zelenskyj: Russians systematically destroyed towns and villages
“The occupiers are not only storming our positions – they are also deliberately and systematically destroying towns and villages around them. With artillery, air force and missiles,’ says Zelenskyj. The Russian army had previously reported new attacks on Wuhledar. Only recently, together with the notorious mercenary group Wagner, they conquered and occupied the city of Soledar, also located in Donetsk, after extremely costly battles.
Particularly against the background of the violent attacks in the east, Ukraine, which has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than 11 months, has repeatedly demanded international military aid, even beyond the now promised German and US main battle tanks.
Federal government according to Baerbock statement: are not a war party
After a controversial statement by Foreign Minister Baerbock, the federal government stressed that Germany is not a party to the war in Ukraine. “NATO and Germany are not at war with Russia in this war of aggression against Ukraine,” said deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann. “We support Ukraine, but we are not a party to the war.”
Baerbock had called on Tuesday at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg for cohesion from Western allies, saying: “We are waging a war against Russia, not against each other.” The Russian state media used this statement as a central key phrase for war propaganda – as proof that Germany and the other EU countries are direct conflict parties in Ukraine and are fighting against Russia.
Kremlin and Trump agree: The US could end the war quickly
Former US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, provided the Kremlin’s propaganda with a through ball. He could negotiate an end to the war “within 24 hours,” the Republican claimed. The Kremlin accepted this gratefully. The United States could quickly end the “war in Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The West, on the other hand, recognizes the right of sovereign Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian war of aggression and supports it massively in doing so. Without this arms support, Ukraine would hardly be able to withstand the Russian invasion.
UNHCR: Russian missile strikes do not lead to new displacement
According to the United Nations, the repeated violent Russian missile attacks have not led to new large movements of refugees from Ukraine. That is what the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, told the German news agency in Kiev. Authorities in the neighboring Republic of Moldova have also confirmed that no more people are currently leaving Ukraine. However, because of the winter, fewer people returned to Ukraine than before Russian missile attacks on Ukraine’s power system began in October.
Ambassador: Israel is helping Ukraine behind the scenes
According to Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, his country supports Russia-attacked Ukraine more than is generally known. Israel is helping, “but behind the scenes,” the diplomat told media group Funke newspapers on Saturday. He asked for understanding of Israeli restraint: “We have the Russians in Syria. As you know, the Israeli military regularly blocks arms shipments from Iran to Syria and Lebanon. These include Iranian drones and missiles that Russia is using in Ukraine,” said Prosor. He also stated that there is a large Jewish community in Russia. “These are the two main reasons why we keep a low profile.”
Profits of Russian banks plummeted drastically in 2022
Under pressure from Western sanctions, Russian banks’ profits collapsed by more than 90 percent in the 2022 war year. All in all, the banking sector in the world’s largest country by area has made a profit of 203 billion rubles (2.7 billion euros) – about a twelfth of the previous year’s record 2.4 trillion rubles in 2021, according to a report published by the Russian central bank. This is the lowest profit for Russian banks since 2015.
In response to the offensive war against Ukraine ordered by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in February 2022, many Western countries – including Germany – have enacted far-reaching sanctions against Russia. In the financial sector, this includes the exclusion of Russian financial institutions from the Swift bank communications network. (aeg/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
