War against Ukraine: this is the situation
At least five people have died as a result of a severe storm in the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa. A further 19 residents were injured by the storm, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in his evening address. In various regions of the war-torn country, 1500 places are now cut off from the power grid. Selensky thanked the hundreds of helpers who are currently at work.
On Monday night, the storm over the Black Sea caused extensive damage not only on the Ukrainian coast, but also in southern Russia and on the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in violation of international law. According to media reports, several people were injured in Crimea and a 50-year-old man was swept into the sea by the waves and drowned. There were also power cuts, flooding and blocked roads due to fallen trees.
USA: Negotiations with Moscow would be a "surrender monologue" for Kiev
The US government considers negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war to be "pointless" at this stage. "We see no indication that Russia is willing to engage in substantive, real peace negotiations," said a representative of the US State Department. It appears that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is talking about "waiting at least another year or more before considering an end to this war".
It would therefore be "pointless" for Ukraine to hold such talks with Russia, the US government representative continued. It would then not be a dialog, but a "surrender monologue". The government would still have to refrain from deciding anything over Ukraine's head.
Putin approves sale of Schaeffler plant
The Franconian industrial and automotive supplier Schaeffler may sell its Russian plant to a holding company owned by its Austrian Supervisory Board member Siegfried Wolf. In a statement, Kremlin leader Putin approved the acquisition of the site in Ulyanovsk on the Volga by PromAvtoConsult. Schaeffler, which is headquartered in Herzogenaurach, announced its intention to sell the plant in Russia in March - around a year after the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
Partial solution to the OSCE leadership crisis
Russia and the other member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have agreed on Malta as the chair country. A few days before a meeting of foreign ministers, an existential decision has been made for the continued existence of the Vienna-based organization, according to diplomatic circles.
The OSCE has been blocked by Moscow's veto stance since the Russian attack on Ukraine. Russia had previously rejected Estonia as the OSCE chair country for 2024 due to its membership of the NATO military alliance. A compromise solution has now been found with the neutral state of Malta on Monday, according to a message posted on X (formerly Twitter) by North Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani.
What will be important today
The foreign ministers of the NATO states are meeting today for a two-day meeting in Brussels. Among other things, the discussions at the headquarters of the defense alliance will focus on the situation in Ukraine.
- Despite the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the sale of a Schaeffler plant in Ulyanovsk to a local holding company.
- The severe weather conditions in Odessa, Ukraine, have caused further issues, with President Volodymyr Zelensky thanking the helpers working to restore power and services in the affected regions.
- The US government sees negotiations between Ukraine and Russia as "pointless" at this stage, as they believe Vladimir Putin is not ready for substantial peace talks and any talks would turn into a "surrender monologue" for Ukraine.
Source: www.dpa.com
