Skip next section ‘The time for compromises is over,’ Zelenskyy says in Bundestag speech
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
‘The time for compromises is over,’ Zelenskyy says in Bundestag speech
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told German lawmakers that Russia must pay for the damage it has inflicted on his country.
“Those who started the war have to be held responsible,” he said. “They have to be brought to justice for every war crime committed.”
“The time for compromises is over,” he added.
“As soon as [Russian President Vladimir] Putin started to burn our cities … as soon as he started to pursue murder instead of agreements and contracts, the time for compromise ended.”
Zelenskyy made the comments in a speech to lawmakers in Germany’s lower house of parliament. It was the first time he had addressed the Bundestag in person.
Zelenskyy is in Berlin to attend a conference focused on shoring up support to rebuild .
https://p.dw.com/p/4guoM
Skip next section Italy announces funds to boost Ukraine’s infrastructure, military
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
Italy announces funds to boost Ukraine’s infrastructure, military
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his country was prepared to send a new military package to , including air defense equipment.
The announcement came during an international conference in Berlin to mobilize support for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Reuters news agency cited Tajani as saying that the Italian government had agreed to a package of €140 million ($150.37 million) for Ukrainian infrastructure and was ready to send more aid to support air defense.
As the Ukraine Recovery Conference got underway on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz both appealed for countries to provide Kyiv with more air defense systems.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gujq
Skip next section US lifts weapons ban on Azov Brigade
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
US lifts weapons ban on Azov Brigade
The US has lifted a decadelong ban on providing military aid to ‘s Azov Brigade.
The controversial military unit has near-cult status in Ukraine and was key to defending the Ukrainian port city of early on in the .
But it has also been criticized over its origins as a volunteer battalion with far-right members among its ranks.
The US had banned the group from using its weapons, citing the neo-Nazi ideology of some of its founders. Under US law, Washington cannot provide equipment or training to foreign military units suspected of committing gross human rights violations.
Moscow has also sought to portray the Azov unit as a neo-Nazi group.
The brigade, which has been absorbed into Ukraine’s National Guard, has rejected allegations of extremism.
On Tuesday, the US State Department said it had conducted a “thorough review” and found “no evidence” of rights violations. It also said the current Azov Brigade is different from the earlier militia unit, meaning it can now receive US weapons.
“This is a new page in our unit’s history,” the Azov Brigade wrote in a statement on Instagram. “Azov is becoming even more powerful, even more professional and even more dangerous for occupiers.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4guXy
Skip next section Rheinmetall opens repair center for German tanks in Ukraine
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
Rheinmetall opens repair center for German tanks in Ukraine
The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has opened a repair and production facility for armored vehicles in , the company announced.
The service center is a joint venture between Rheinmetall and a Ukrainian partner company.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Strategic Industries said the facility would ensure German tanks in Ukraine can be serviced and repaired quickly.
“The establishment of a joint production facility with Rheinmetall is not only a step towards Ukraine’s victory, but also a significant milestone in the development of the arsenal of the free world,” Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin said in a statement.
Ukraine has been using equipment supplied by Rheinmetall, , in its war against Russia.
https://p.dw.com/p/4guCn
Skip next section Germany, Ukraine sign reconstruction declaration
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
Germany, Ukraine sign reconstruction declaration
The finance ministries of Ukraine and Germany have signed a joint Declaration of Intent to boost bilateral cooperation to support , the Reuters news agency reports.
“We are not limiting ourselves to the form of support that Ukraine needs to win the war,” said German Finance Minister Christian Lindner. “We want to contribute now so that Ukraine can set the course for future growth through its reconstruction.”
The announcement came as Germany hosts a conference designed to .
The has estimated that rebuilding Ukraine will require investments of nearly $500 billion over the next decade.
Lindner said the new pact between Berlin and Kyiv was not just about financial resources, but that it also aimed to boost institutions to promote investment and support private companies in Ukraine.
The declaration does not create rights or obligations under international law.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gu7k
Skip next section EU chief pledges billions in short-term aid for Ukraine
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
EU chief pledges billions in short-term aid for Ukraine
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said €1.9 billion ($2 billion) in financial aid would be released this month “to support in its resistance and recovery.”
The money will come from an .
An additional €1.5 billion from accrued interest on frozen Russian assets in the West would be available in July, von der Leyen said at the start of a Berlin conference to rally support for reconstruction efforts in Ukraine.
Speeding up the process of how Ukraine can use the proceeds of frozen Russian assets is also on the agenda at a Group of Seven summit in Apulia this week, von der Leyen said.
“Now we make Russia pay,” she said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gtvN
Skip next section Russian strikes halved Ukraine’s power generation capacity — Zelenskyy
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
Russian strikes halved Ukraine’s power generation capacity — Zelenskyy
told delegates at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin that had destroyed half of since winter.
“As a result of the strikes of Russian missiles and drones, nine gigawatts of capacity have already been destroyed,” Zelenskyy said. “The peak of electricity consumption last winter was 18 gigawatts. So half now doesn’t exist.”
He added that Ukraine planned to build 1 gigawatt of gas-fired energy generation this year and 4 gigawatts in the coming years. He called for investment, aid and equipment to help Kyiv rebuild its electricity network.
Zelenskyy also said he hoped to secure billions in funding to boost defense against Russia, rebuild homes, and meet education and medical needs.
He said his country needed at least seven more Patriot air defense systems soon in order to protect major cities from Russian airstrikes.
“We will leave this conference with agreements for billions of euros for our defense, regarding the production of military equipment and weapons in Ukraine, and for our energy, for repairing and building new and more modern energy system,” Zelenskyy said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gtiF
Skip next section Chancellor Scholz urges allies to boost Ukraine air defense
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
Chancellor Scholz urges allies to boost Ukraine air defense
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has opened the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin with an appeal for more to be done to bolster Ukraine’s air defense .
“I would like to make a heartfelt plea to everyone here today: please support our initiative to with everything that is possible,” Scholz said.
Some 2,000 delegates from 60 countries are attending the two-day conference in the German capital, which aims to mobilize support for Ukraine’s post-war recovery and reconstruction.
The German chancellor stressed that companies had a vital role to play in rebuilding Ukraine, but that they needed to be offered a business case for investing there. He added that there was great potential in Ukraine for industries such as renewables, pharmaceuticals and IT.
Scholz also told conference participants that Russia would not win the war, and he called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to “end his brutal campaign and withdraw his troops.”
“There will be no military victory and no dictated peace,” Scholz said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gtZt
Skip next section Kyiv deserves ‘our unwavering support,’ says Schulze
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
Kyiv deserves ‘our unwavering support,’ says Schulze
German Development Minister Svenja Schulze says Ukraine needs urgent help to rebuild what has been destroyed by
“Even during the current times of war, Ukraine needs to continually rebuild houses, water pipelines, hospitals and power grids,” she said.
“People want to keep on living in their country, and to do so they need electricity, water and a roof over their heads.”
Schulze’s comments came ahead of a two-day conference in Berlin to boost . Around 2,000 people from politics, business and other sectors are expected to attend the event in the German capital on Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to the World Bank, the damage already caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine amounts to at least $486 billion (€446 billion).
Schulze said the task of supporting Ukraine’s recovery in the short and long term “is too big to be tackled by governments alone, which is why we are expressly inviting companies, civil society and municipalities to the conference.”
Kyiv deserves “our unwavering support,” she said, because it is “defending our freedom and security” in Europe.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gtPt
Skip next section Russian military jet crashes in Caucasus, killing crew
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
Russian military jet crashes in Caucasus, killing crew
A Russian SU-34 bomber has crashed during a training flight in the Caucasus region of North Ossetia, the Defense Ministry reported.
A ministry statement said two people on board were killed.
It said the jet came down “in a mountainous zone” after suffering an apparent technical problem.
An investigation into the incident was underway, the ministry added.
On June 8, Russian regional authorities said at a military airfield near the town of Mozdok in North Ossetia. It was the first such attack in the region — which lies about 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the front line in Ukraine — since .
https://p.dw.com/p/4gtIv
Skip next section Stoltenberg to attend meeting of eastern NATO states
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
Stoltenberg to attend meeting of eastern NATO states
is set to attend a meeting of high-ranking officials from eastern European NATO countries in Riga on Tuesday.
The gathering comes ahead of a NATO summit in Washington next month that is expected to focus on more aid for Ukraine as it .
The so-called Bucharest Nine Group was established after Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014.
It includes countries on the military alliance’s eastern flank: Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Security concerns have grown markedly in the region following , in February 2022. With the exception of Hungary, the Bucharest Nine have been staunch supporters of Kyiv.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gtI9
Skip next section Scholz, Macron slated to attend Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
Scholz, Macron slated to attend Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland
Leaders from nearly 90 countries and organizations have confirmed they will attend the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland this weekend.
Russia was not invited to the summit that takes place at the Bürgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne in the village of Obbürgen.
Moscow also said it would not attend the event because the agenda was Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
About 160 invitations were sent out, Switzerland’s President Viola Amherd said on Monday. Some 100 have so far announced participation in the first phase of the peace process.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, were among those slated to attend. US President Joe Biden will skip it.
Swiss authorities said the final list of participants was expected by Friday, but key developing countries like Turkey, South Africa and Brazil haven’t indicated whether they would attend. India, they said, at which level.
The peace summit will draw upon a presented by Zelenskyy in late 2022.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gt4l
Skip next section Zelenskyy arrives in Berlin for event on rebuilding Ukraine
06/11/2024June 11, 2024
Zelenskyy arrives in Berlin for event on rebuilding Ukraine
Ukrainian President has arrived in to meet with and attend a donor conference to rebuild the war-torn country.
“Chancellor Scholz and I will discuss further defence assistance, the expansion of Ukraine’s air defence system, and joint arms production,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The event for will be attended by a host of people, including at least 10 prime ministers. More than 2,000 people from 60 countries, from many sectors including the private sector, are slated to attend the conference.
“In the face of Russia’s air terror, urgent solutions for Ukraine’s energy sector will be our top priority,” Zelenskyy said.
Russian attacks have crippled Ukrainian electricity infrastructure, with Kyiv implementing several measures in recent days to limit electricity consumption in the country.
Zelenskyy added that he will also meet “President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Bundestag President Barbel Bas, as well as visit a military base where our servicemen are training.”
mf/rm (Reuters, AP, dpa)
https://p.dw.com/p/4gt4k
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