Federal President Steinmeier receives another invitation to Kyiv during the Ukraine war. Moscow insists on Russian grain exports “without obstacles”. News ticker on war diplomacy.
- Saxony’s Prime Minister speaks for itself russian gas out: Criticism comes from Federal Labor Minister Heil.
- bursts grain deal in the Ukraine war? Putin minister warns
- negotiations in the Ukraine war: Steinmeier invited again by Selenskyj
- This News ticker on the negotiations and sanctions in the Ukraine war is updated regularly.
Update from July 27, 3:18 p.m.: The Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) assumes that Germany cannot do without Russian gas in the next five years. The politician said in an interview with the weekly newspaper time. “If we find that we cannot do without Russian gas for the time being, then that is a bitter reality, but it is one and we must take it into account.”
He also warned of the consequences of the sanctions against Russia for the German economy. “Our economic system is in danger of collapsing. If we are not careful, it could lead to de-industrialization in Germany.” From the point of view of the CDU politician, the war must be “frozen”. Although Ukraine must not lose any territories, a ceasefire “will also have to take into account the last few months since February 24.”
Criticism of Kretschmer’s statements by Federal Labor Minister Heil and CDU General Secretary Czaja
The Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) criticized these statements by Kretschmer and also the doubts about the sanctions of the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Rainer Haseloff. “I think it’s important that we don’t let Putin divide us as a society in Germany either, and that’s why every democratic politician, including the prime ministers of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, must know what they’re saying,” Heil said in the ARD lunchtime magazine. The SPD politician ruled out a dictated peace in Ukraine. CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja also rejected Saxon Prime Minister Kretschmer’s call for negotiations with Russia and a freeze on the Ukraine war. They do not correspond to “the majority position of the CDU”.
Throttling of Nord-Stream 1: Federal government suspects power play in Russia
Updated July 27 at 2:27 p.m: The Nord Stream throttling as leverage? The traffic light coalition under Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) accuses Moscow of political purposes. “What we are seeing here is actually a power play,” said deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann in Berlin.
But Germany is “not impressed” by this. Hoffmann further stated: “The supply contracts are not being complied with at this point in time. As before, we see no technical reasons for this.” A serviced turbine is ready to be handed over to the Russian energy company Gazprom so that it can be used.
Moscow, on the other hand, blames technical problems related to Western sanctions over the attack on Ukraine.
Will the grain deal in the Ukraine war burst? Putin minister warns
Updated July 27 at 1:36 p.m: Will the grain deal fail? Moscow warns of this and speaks of existing hurdles: According to the Interfax agency, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko has demanded that grain exports from Russia and Ukraine must begin at the same time. Therefore, the obstacles to the export of Russian grain must be removed quickly.
“We always hope for the best and count on our partners to implement the two components of the grain deal, which concerns grain exports from Ukraine and the lifting of restrictions on Russian grain exports altogether,” Rudenko said.
In the past, Russia has explicitly made an end to the blockade of the Ukrainian Black Sea ports dependent on the easing of Western sanctions against itself.
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Steinmeier again invited by Selenskyj
First report from July 27th: Kyiv – Will there be a personal meeting between Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Volodymyr Zelenskyj after all? The Ukrainian President has invited the German President to visit Ukraine for a second time, says outgoing Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk in an interview with the weekly newspaper The time.
“We are still waiting for his visit to Kyiv. In the last phone call, President Zelenskyy personally invited him for the second time,” said the Ukrainian ambassador.
Steinmeier trip in the Ukraine war: Trouble in the traffic light coalition
Irritation had previously arisen after the Ukrainian side had rejected Steinmeier’s visit to Kyiv in mid-April. The Federal President wanted to visit the Ukrainian capital together with the Presidents of Poland and the three Baltic states, but was disinvited at the last moment, much to Berlin’s annoyance.
Because Steinmeier was uninvited and the resulting refusal of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to go to Kyiv, CDU chairman Friedrich Merz was the first high-ranking German politician to come there after the outbreak of the Ukraine war.
In May, Steinmeier and Selenskyj spoke on the phone and “past irritations were cleared up,” according to his spokeswoman. Zelenskyj invited both Steinmeier personally and the entire federal government to visit Kyiv. (frs with dpa)
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