Germany has not yet met its target in the tank ring swap for Ukraine. Now CDU leader Merz wants to meet Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki. News ticker on war diplomacy.
- affront versus scholz? CDU leader Merz travels to Poland to mediate in the dispute over tanks.
- Strack Zimmermann attacked Poland in Ring Exchange Dispute: Germany cannot “cut tanks out of their ribs”
- This News ticker on the negotiations and sanctions in Ukraine war is updated regularly.
Updated July 26, 2:58 p.m: There is news about German arms deliveries in the Ukraine war: Germany has now delivered the promised Mars II multiple rocket launchers to the Ukraine. In addition, three more self-propelled howitzers were handed over, as Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) explained.
Update from July 26, 2:28 p.m.: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday (July 24) that Moscow is aiming for regime change in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has now sharply criticized this: “No one can now claim that Russia is about anything other than the complete subjugation of Ukraine and its people,” said Baerbock during her visit to the Czech Republic.
“The most recent statements by the Russian foreign minister have once again shown the deep contempt of the Russian leadership for the democratic self-determination of Ukraine,” said the Green politician. The EU stands all the more united on the side of Ukraine. “In Ukraine, our freedom, our way of life, our values are defended,” said Baerbock.
Space: Russia gets out of the International Space Station ISS
Update from July 26, 2:20 p.m.: Under Kremlin chief Putin, Russia is still co-operating with the International Space Station (ISS). That should change from 2024: Russia will no longer be involved in the operation after 2024. Read more about Russia’s surprising exit from the ISS here.
Affront to Scholz? Merz interferes in ring exchange dispute with Poland
Updated July 26, 1:50 p.m: Poland and Germany are currently in a clinch. The reason is the ring exchange between the two countries, which doesn’t really want to work out. It was agreed that Poland would deliver tanks of Soviet design to the Ukraine and, in return, would receive Western-style tanks from Germany. The former happened, the latter didn’t – apparently Germany can’t deliver tanks to Poland at the moment, which doesn’t meet with enthusiasm in Warsaw.
Now CDU leader Friedrich Merz is getting into the whole affair. Again mirror found out, the opposition leader is traveling to Poland this Wednesday (July 27). It is said that he wants to smooth things over with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in the ring exchange dispute. According to reports, Merz considers it “urgent” to maintain close contact with the Polish government leadership.
That could well be understood as an affront to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the traffic light coalition, whose task it is much more to maintain these contacts. Merz is apparently also indirectly assuming that Scholz is neglecting the topic.
The opposition leader already had Scholz on Monday, July 25, in the mirror attacked: “The exchange of rings has become a dead end because of Chancellor Scholz’s hesitance,” he explained – and added: “More and more, the fatal impression is being made that the federal government just wants to buy as much time as possible, while Ukraine is literally dying Survival fights.”
Ukraine-News: Control Center for Grain Exports starts work
Update from July 26, 1:40 p.m.: With the Istanbul Treaty, Ukraine and Russia have committed themselves to respecting safe corridors for cargo ships and to refraining from military activities there. This should lead to an end to the blockade of Ukrainian grain exports. Less than 24 hours later, however, Russia had caused international outrage with a rocket attack on the port of Odessa.
Now the responsible control center in Istanbul has apparently started its work. The Russian delegation will arrive on Tuesday, the Ministry of Defense announced in Moscow. The main task of the Russian specialists is to decide all the necessary questions to put the initiative into practice, the ministry said. The experts are under “special control of the Ministry of Defense”. Representatives of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations are said to work in the control center.
Update from July 26, 12:26 p.m.: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock praised the EU’s emergency gas plan as a sign of solidarity in Europe in difficult times. “We are just underlining that we will not let ourselves be divided, where we as EU states could also act against each other because gas is so scarce,” said the Green politician during her visit to Prague. “We know what our strength is: standing together, especially in difficult times.”
![German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky hold a press conference.](https://www.merkur.de/bilder/2022/07/26/91688806/29455065-annalena-baerbock-tschechien-panzer-ukraine-krieg-news-JAvPAsDvmBG.jpg)
Update from July 26, 12:16 p.m.: The EU countries have agreed on a gas emergency plan for this winter. At a special meeting of the ministers responsible for energy on Tuesday in Brussels, the necessary majority for the step came together.
Dispute over ring exchange: FDP politician attacks Poland – “Can’t cut tanks out of our ribs”
Berlin/Warsaw – Poland, among others, has delivered more than 200 tanks of Soviet design to the Ukraine – and is now waiting in vain for replacements from Germany. That leads to resentment among the Eastern European NATO partners – and should also be an issue when Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock travels to the Czech Republic and Slovakia on Tuesday (July 26).
The FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann is now turning the tables – and in turn accuses Poland of exaggerated expectations when it comes to the tank ring exchange. “After all, we can’t cut the tanks we want out of our ribs,” complained the chair of the Bundestag Defense Committee to the portal time online. The Polish government knows that too. Germany had been accused of “deceptive maneuvers” last week when it came to ring exchange.
Panzer ring exchange in the Ukraine war: Poland puts pressure on
According to Strack-Zimmermann, during the so-called ring exchange, it was agreed that Poland would deliver Soviet T-72 tanks to Ukraine to defend against Russia. According to Strack-Zimmermann, Poland initially wanted a one-to-one compensation by German Leopard 2 tanks. “Later, the Polish representatives expected to get 44 to 58 Leopard A4s,” said Strack-Zimmermann. The federal government has “pledged 20 pieces in the course of 2023 because they first have to be made available”.
Now, however, pressure is being generated from the Polish side via the German media, criticized the FDP politician. “That’s not really helpful, especially since there’s a lot of fairness going on behind the scenes.”
Weapons deliveries to Ukraine: Strack-Zimmermann demands direct route
Strack-Zimmermann is now also demanding direct deliveries of arms to the Ukraine from Germany – including Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Fuchs-type transport vehicles and Leopard 2 tanks. “This does not meet with much enthusiasm in the Chancellery, which only wants to deliver battle tanks in consultation with the USA and France,” she said. “But Germany could set an example.” Ukraine cannot wait “until we have sorted ourselves out here”.
![Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) next to the FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP).](https://www.merkur.de/bilder/2022/07/26/91688806/29454592-olaf-scholz-strack-zimmermann-ukraine-panzer-ringtausch-krieg-news-2u0KuRnSFEBG.jpg)
In the ring exchange procedure, eastern allies are supposed to provide the Ukrainians with tanks of Soviet design, for which they do not have to be specially trained. In return, Germany promised the NATO partners modern equipment as a replacement. However, Poland had repeatedly accused the federal government of not keeping promises. You can read everything about the military developments in the Ukraine war in this news ticker. (AFP)
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