Tanks for Ukraine are ‘ready to go’ when Germany and US strike a deal, retired Navy Adm. says

class=”MuiTypography-root-142 MuiTypography-h1-147″>Tanks for Ukraine are 'ready to go' when Germany and US strike a deal, retired Navy Adm. says

As Germany faces mounting pressure to supply tanks to Kyiv for the ongoing war in Ukraine, retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis talks with The World's host Marco Werman about what the delivery of heavy weapons could mean for the war.

The WorldJanuary 19, 2023 · 3:30 PM EST

Denmark's military officers stand next to a Leopard 2A7 tank at the Tapa Military Camp, in Estonia, Jan. 19, 2023.

Pavel Golovkin/AP

Germany has faced mounting pressure to supply Leopard 2 battle tanks to Kyiv as the war in Ukraine rages on — or to clear the way for other countries, such as Poland, to deliver German-made Leopards from their own stocks.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin plans to host a regular coordination meeting of Ukraine's Western allies at the United States' Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday.

Western leaders have been cautious in their approach to Ukraine’s repeated requests over the past few months for heavier vehicles, including Leopard, as well as American Abrams tanks.

Meanwhile, Berlin has said that it will send its vehicles only after the US sends its tanks.

The World's host Marco Werman speaks with retired Navy Admiral James Stavridis, who is the former NATO supreme allied commander, about how a delivery of tanks would make a difference.

Marco Werman: Admiral James Stavridis, what kind of impact will this decision make?Adm. James Stavridis: A huge impact for several reasons. First of all, the Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers, many, many thousands probably, were destroyed. So, Russia is tank- and armored-personnel-carrier poor at the moment. Number two, if Russia mounts a spring offensive using these newly mobilized foot soldiers, infantry, those are very juicy targets for tanks and armored personnel carriers.So, Germany is facing a lot of pressure this week to send tanks to Ukraine. Why is the German-made Leopard tank especially wanted in Ukraine?First, because it's a pretty heavy tank. It's not quite as big as the Abrams tank. The Leopard is a big, strong, tough tank, but it's relatively simple to operate, compared to, for example, an Abrams. And, most importantly, it's widely distributed across the native nations. Germany has exported many of these to the Baltic states, to many former Warsaw Pact countries. So, there's a lot of expertise, training, a lot of inventory, and therefore, they are highly desired by the Ukrainians. They're in theater, they're ready to go, not a lot of training required.Well, yesterday, German officials said they won't send Leopard tanks unless the US sends Abrams. What do you make of that?I think it's part of an ongoing conversation. And at the end of the day, I would guess that our German colleagues will say, "You know, we would like to put the Leopards out there." And part of this, by the way, is for the Germans to give permission to the other European nations who hold these Leopard tanks to give them, as well as some German Leopards, I think that the Germans ultimately will acquiesce in a deal where we, the US and the Canadians, put a large number of armored personnel carriers. They provide the tanks. That's a pretty good deal.Well, the US is providing Ukraine with other heavy-duty weapons of war. Why is the US hesitant to provide tanks?What has held us back, not only not an obvious military need, which is emerging now, but secondly, we have always in this conflict, tried to use the minimal amount of weapons systems so that we could avoid escalating the war and leading to a direct conflict between NATO and Russia. But I think we hit the point now where the tanks are a necessity, given where we are in the battle.Yes so, why would a tank specifically imply a greater involvement in the war than, say, the Patriot missile system?Marco, I don't think it does. And this has been, I think, kind of a false assumption out of the West. It was taken out of an abundance of caution. I understand that. I think it made a higher degree of sense, say, 10, 11 months ago, when you could have envisioned an outcome where [Russian President Vladimir] Putin got knocked back, then we had a negotiation, we could avoid an escalation. I think we're past that point now, unfortunately. And therefore, yeah Patriots, yeah tanks, I would say, yeah fighter aircraft. That's the next conversation that's going to happen.Can you talk more about that? I mean, that seems a really deep commitment in this war.We are at the point where the Western side needs to say to itself, "Are we going to give the Ukrainians control over their skies?" And to do that, we've already provided surface-to-air missiles. We provided the Patriot batteries, we provided drones. The one big thing we haven't given them is combat aircraft. And by providing them, say MiG-29s, which the Poles own and operate and are willing to give to the Ukrainians, who've been trained in flying those specific airframes, we should do that, in my view, because that will further shut down Vladimir Putin's options. Right now, he's using air control in order to strike Ukrainian targets, and all over Ukraine. And there are war crimes against the electric grid, the water supplies, against civilians in apartment buildings, aircraft could help stop that. We ought to provide them those aircraft.But, I mean, any of these options, starting with a tank deal, would you see that as another step closer to direct war between Russia and NATO?No, I don't think it significantly elevates the chances, because you still don't have NATO soldiers, sailors, airmen actually conducting the combat. These are still Ukrainians conducting the combat. And, as you postulated a moment ago, in the end, giving a Ukrainian a rifle is merely a matter of degree in how you're attacking Russian forces, than giving them a Patriot missile or a tank. So, I think the earlier ideas of doing this in a very measured, incremental way, I think that's fading as we look at Russian intransigence, Russian war crimes, very clear intent of Vladimir Putin to continue to prosecute this unjust war. And don't forget that Putin could stop this tomorrow. It's this idea that somehow we're provoking Russia, which is kind of magical thinking. It's Putin that's invaded here. We need to give the Ukrainians what they need to stop it.So, Admiral, as he said, that the German Leopard tank doesn't require a lot of training. It's already in-theater. If a deal is struck, some kind of agreement between Germany, the US and Ukraine, how soon could you see delivery of these tanks' deployment into the battlefield?Days, and certainly within weeks. This is primed, ready to go. And by the way, my contacts in European militaries, there is a great deal of enthusiasm for getting these weapons in the hands of the Ukrainians. It's a political decision that needs to be made.I mean, in a modern war where we've seen drones play such a key role, remotely operated, does it surprise you, that this historical piece of equipment, like a tank, is so important right now?It doesn't surprise me. And the logical question would be, well, what happened to all of those Russian tanks a year ago? Because a lot of them were destroyed by drones. That's why this marriage of an old weapon, the tank, with these new weapons, the drones, I think is going to be very powerful against the Russians.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.AP contributed to this report.

Related: How well is the grain deal working for Ukraine?

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Spiegel learned that the CIA informed the Federal Republic of Germany about possible attacks on gas pipelines

Spiegel: CIA warned Germany about the possibility of attacks on gas pipelines Back in the summer, the German government received a warning from the CIA that both Nord Streams could become targets of attacks, writes Spiegel. The damage to gas pipelines became known on Tuesday night, experts consider this a sabotage “(max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >

Germany set a goal to again receive gas from Russia after a military operation

Prime Minister of Saxony: Germany should again receive gas from Russia after the end of the military operation Germany should take all measures to cope with the shortage of fuel and achieve lower prices for it, says Prime Minister of Saxony Kretschmer. Among them, he named supplies from Qatar, as well as the restoration of imports from Russia “(max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >

Zelensky linked Germany’s refusal to supply weapons to the “Nazi past”

Zelensky: Germany has psychological barriers in the supply of weapons due to the Nazi past President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the supply of weapons would have been reduced if Kyiv had not launched a counteroffensive

Vladimir Zelensky

Germany has “certain psychological barriers” on the issue of the supply of military equipment due to its Nazi past, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Reuters.

Such supplies are vital for Ukraine, he said.

“We would like more help from Turkey, we would like more help from South Korea. More help from the Arab world. From Asia»,— Zelensky added.

He also expressed the opinion that the supply of weapons to Ukraine would have been reduced if Kyiv had not launched a counteroffensive. “I think this is a very important step that has influenced or will influence the decisions of some other countries,” — said the Ukrainian president.

The beginning of the Ukrainian counteroffensive at the end of August was reported by Reuters with reference to the country's Southern Military Command. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the offensive attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but called them “unsuccessful”.

In Ukraine, Germany has repeatedly been criticized for the slow and insufficient provision of military assistance. In May, the Welt newspaper wrote that Germany had reduced arms supplies to a minimum. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed that this information is not true. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to him, received such weapons from Berlin that are not yet in service with the Bundeswehr (German armed forces).

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In early September, Welt, citing sources in the Ukrainian government, wrote that Scholz had not agreed to send the latest German Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

Berlin is postponing the delivery of tanks as it fears Ukraine could become “overconfident” and invade Russia and “German tanks will be back on Russian soil,” Spiegel wrote in June, citing sources close to the German government.

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Moscow stated that the supply of Western weapons will not prevent it from achieving the goals of the special operation. President Vladimir Putin, speaking about American weapons that arrived in Ukraine, said that domestic forces “click [them] like nuts.”

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The ambassador accused Germany of crossing the red line due to the supply of weapons to Kyiv

Russian Ambassador Nechaev accused Germany of crossing the red line due to the supply of weapons to Kyiv Berlin, pumping Ukraine with weapons “at the request of the Anglo-Saxon NATO allies”, chose “the path to nowhere”, which only prolongs the conflict, Sergey Nechaev is convinced

The ambassador accused the FRG of crossing the red line because of arms supplies to Kyiv

Germany crossed a red line when it began supplying its lethal weapons to Ukraine. About this in an interview with Izvestia said Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev.

“The very fact of supplying the Ukrainian regime with German-made lethal weapons, used not only against Russian military personnel, but also against the civilian population of Donbass,— this is a red line that the German authorities should not have crossed, — considers the diplomat.

He recalled the moral and historical responsibility of Germany for the crimes of the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War.

Berlin, pumping Kyiv with weapons “at the request of the Anglo-Saxon NATO allies,” chose “the road to nowhere, only prolonging the conflict and increasing casualties,” Nechaev is convinced. “In Germany, many are aware of this,” & mdash; he added.

At first, Germany did not want to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine. Later, however, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Berlin had to change its mind because of Russia's actions. According to him, the Ukrainian military received such weapons from Germany that are not yet in service with the Bundeswehr. Berlin gave Kyiv “everything that was”: anti-aircraft and anti-tank systems, “tons of ammunition”, MLRS, self-propelled howitzers, counter-battery radars, the chancellor said.

The German side has repeatedly said that it has almost exhausted the stocks of the Bundeswehr. In particular, this was acknowledged by German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock. At the same time, Berlin intends to continue to provide military assistance to Kyiv through the supply of weapons, Burbock assured.

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Germany filled gas storage facilities by 85%

Germany filled gas storage facilities by 85%, despite the shutdown of Nord Stream Thus, in early September, Berlin reached the goal of reaching 85% of gas storage capacity by October. Previously, the German Minister of Economics assumed that the goal could be achieved ahead of schedule max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >

Germany reached its October target of 85% filling of gas storage facilities, despite the shutdown of Russia's Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. This is evidenced by the data of the association of European gas infrastructure operators GIE for September 3.

According to the GIE, the filling level of German gas storage facilities was 85.02%.

At the end of August, German Economics Minister Robert Habeck said Germany's gas storage facilities were filling up faster than planned and added that the government's goal of reaching 85% storage capacity by October could be reached by early September.

Der Spiegel referring to data from the energy industry association, BDEW wrote that in August only 9.5% of the gas came from Russia.

The German government has set a target gas storage capacity level of 75% by September. However, already on August 28, the figure was at the level of 82.2%.

“Companies will be able to take gas from storage facilities as planned during the winter to also supply industry and households,” Khabek pointed out.

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“Letter of identified malfunctions of the Trent 60 unit (No. 24) and the need to eliminate them was sent to the President and CEO of Siemens Energy AG, Christian Bruch,” noted in the company.

According to the report, during the maintenance of the turbine, an oil leak was detected. Rostekhnadzor warned that the faults found “do not allow for safe, trouble-free operation of the gas turbine engine.” and the work must be suspended.

According to the schedule, the gas pipeline was supposed to return to gas pumping on September 3.

Decrease in gas pumping through Nord Stream began in mid-June: first, the pumping fell from 167 million to 100 million cubic meters. m of gas per day, then— up to 35 million cubic meters m.

«Gazprom» attributed this to problems with gas turbines maintained by Siemens. Due to sanctions against Russia, difficulties arose with the return of the gas turbine unit from Canada, where it was sent for repairs. Ottawa agreed to hand over the turbine to Berlin to return it to Moscow. Now the unit is located in Germany, “Gazprom” insists that in order to return the turbine, he needs official explanations from the EU and Britain about the absence of sanctions risks.

Siemens believes that the Russian side has reduced pumping through Nord Stream; for political reasons. Moscow rejects this.

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Understanding the mailing

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Germany’s opposition leader warns of blackouts in the country this winter

According to CDU leader Friedrich Merz, if the government continues to abandon nuclear energy “for ideological reasons”, then Germany will face massive power outages in the winter media/img/0/90/756622826610900.jpg 673w” media=”(max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min- resolution: 192dpi)” >

Germany may face massive power outages this winter. This was stated in an interview with Bild by the leader of the party “Christian Democratic Union of Germany” (CDU) Friedrich Merz.

“If the government continues like this, sticking to ideological abandonment of nuclear power, we face a blackout early next year,” he said and called for the purchase of new fuel elements to continue the operation of nuclear power plants in Germany.

The German authorities began shutting down nuclear power plants in 2011 after the Fukushima accident. This year, due to the reduction in Russian gas supplies, some German politicians proposed extending the operation of three nuclear power plants until 2024. However, according to German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck, even if the nuclear power plants are extended, gas consumption in the country will decrease by only 2%.

Against the backdrop of climate change and anti-Russian sanctions, EU countries, including Germany, faced record inflation and energy shortages. Some countries have introduced a special regime in the energy sector to save fuel in cold weather. In Germany, in particular, this autumn and winter, all public buildings will be heated to 19 degrees instead of 22.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attributed the current crisis to a reduction in gas supplies from Moscow. According to the GIE, the occupancy rate of German gas storage facilities as of September 4 is 85.02%.

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Siemens believes that the Russian side has reduced the flow through Nord Stream; for political reasons. Moscow rejects this.

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Poland demanded more than a trillion euros in war reparations from Germany

Historical and financial disputes play out between NATO and EU allies

Poland wants to receive reparations from Germany in the amount of 1.3 trillion euros for the damage caused during World War II. As the 83rd anniversary of the start of the largest armed conflict in history, Jarosław Kaczynski announced a huge lawsuit against Berlin after the release of the casualty report. For its part, Germany insists that the case is closed and that compensation has already been paid.

Photo: Global Look Press

Warsaw has re-engaged in its favorite national game, masochistically portraying itself as an innocent victim of neighboring countries and greedily demanding financial compensation (which the Poles are unlikely to ever get). This time, Poland's claims are addressed to their “elder brother” in the EU and NATO – Germany.

The Polish government will demand €1.3 trillion in compensation from Germany for the Nazi invasion and occupation during World War II, a senior politician in the country has said. According to the Daily Mail, the leader of the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice party, Yaroslav Kaczynski, announced a claim against Berlin amid the release of a long-awaited report on the damage to the country during the Nazi occupation.

“We have not only prepared a report, but also decided on the next steps,” said Jarosław Kaczynski during the presentation of the report.

“We will turn to Germany to start negotiations on reparations,” the Nationalist party leader promised, adding that it would be “a long and difficult road” but “one day it will bring success.”

PiS leader insisted that the move would serve “real Polish-German reconciliation” based on “truth”. Kaczynski said the German economy could pay the bill.

The right-wing nationalist government of Poland claims that the country, which became the first victim of World War II, did not receive full compensation from neighboring Germany, which is now one of its main partners in the European Union and a NATO ally.

But Germany claims that compensation was paid to the countries of the Eastern Bloc in the years after the war, while the territories that Poland lost in the east as a result of the redrawing of borders were compensated by some pre-war German states. Berlin calls the case closed.

“Germany never accounted for its crimes against Poland,” Kaczynski said, saying that many Germans who committed war crimes lived in Germany with impunity after the war.

Polish senior leadership, including Kaczynski, who is considered Poland's top politician, and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki attended the presentation of the report at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, rebuilt from wartime ruins.

The publication of the report was in the spotlight on the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, which began on September 1, 1939 with the bombing of Nazi Germany and the invasion of Poland, followed by more than five years of occupation.

Head of the report drafting team, deputy Arkadiusz Mularczyk, stated that it is impossible to estimate from a financial point of view the loss of about 5.2 million lives due to the German occupation. He listed the losses for infrastructure, industry, agriculture, culture, deportation to Germany for forced labor and attempts to turn Polish children into Germans.

A team of more than 30 economists, historians and other experts have been working on the report since 2017. The issue has sparked bilateral tensions.

Poland's new estimate of damage from the German invasion and occupation exceeds the $850 billion estimate made by a ruling party MP in 2019. The ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) has repeatedly called for compensation since coming to power in 2015, but Warsaw has not yet officially demanded compensation.

“The amount that was presented was accepted in the most limited, conservative way, it could have been increased,” PiS party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said at a press conference.

The belligerent stance towards Germany, which PiS often uses to mobilize its supporters, has strained relations with Berlin amid criticism from Warsaw of the German state's dependence on Russian gas and its slowness in helping Kyiv, Reuters notes.

World War II was “one of the most terrible tragedies in our history,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said during morning activities on the Westerplatte peninsula near Gdansk, one of the first places to be attacked during the Nazi invasion.

“Not only because it took away our freedom, not only because it took away our state from us, but also because this war meant millions of victims among the citizens of Poland and irreparable losses for our homeland and our people,” Duda said. .

In Germany, Dietmar Nitan, government official for German-Polish cooperation, said in a statement that September 1 “remains a day of guilt and shame for Germany, which reminds us again and again that we must not forget about the crimes committed by Germany”, which is “the darkest chapter in our history” and still affects bilateral relations.

The reconciliation offered by the people in Poland is “the basis on which we can look forward together to a future in a united Europe,” Nitan said.

The Polish government rejects a 1953 declaration made by the then communist leaders of the country, according to which they agreed to make no further claims against Germany.

Donald Tusk, leader of Poland's largest opposition party, the Civic Platform, said that Kaczynski's demands “are not about reparations.” “This is about a domestic political campaign to regain support for the ruling party,” he said.

Law and Justice (PiS) still leads most opinion polls, but its advantage over Civic Platform has declined in recent months amid criticism over how the ruling party is handling rising inflation and the economic downturn.

Opposition MP Grzegorz Schetyna says the report is just a “play in domestic politics” and insists on the need for Poland to build good relations with Berlin.

Источник www.mk.ru

Germany to give Ukraine 20 rocket launchers

The Federal Republic of Germany wants to transfer to Kyiv two dozen rocket launchers with a caliber of 70 millimeters on special vehicles, as well as two thousand rockets, according to the portal of the German government.

Earlier, a page was created on the website of the German Cabinet of Ministers , where information about all arms deliveries to the Ukrainian side is entered.

The German government reported that we are talking about direct deliveries from German industrialists under the arms modernization program. Delivery times depend on when repairs or production are completed.

It was previously reported that Washington intends to provide Kyiv with Excalibur guided missiles.

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Panic broke out in Germany over news of the suspension of Nord Stream

Photo from the Nord Stream website.

Readers of the German edition of Spiegel reacted violently to an article that reported that Russia would suspend gas supplies via Nord Stream 1 from August 31 to September 2 due to ongoing preventive maintenance.

The material notes that in the absence of technical errors in the operation of the only turbine at the Portovaya compressor station, gas supplies will resume in the amount of 33 million cubic meters per day. At the same time, the newspaper notes, this corresponds to only 20% of the actual throughput of the pipeline. In this regard, measures are being taken in Germany to save gas in order to prevent gas shortages in winter.

After that, one of the readers of the newspaper wrote that if there is less gas or no gas at all, then there will be a “commotion”. He asked if, in this case, Germany's refusal to use Nord Stream 2 is justified?

“What did you expect if we impose sanctions against Russia and supply weapons to Ukraine?”  – also wondered another user.

Another panellist added that Germany brought this crisis on itself, but no one wants to admit it.

The reader under the name Antiaktion is ironic advised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to visit the turbine, stroke it and have a gentle talk.

And user Caroline_5728 noted: “I think we live in bad times. We should be afraid both for ourselves and for our children.

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Germany filled gas storage facilities by 75% ahead of schedule

Earlier, the German authorities adopted requirements according to which underground gas storage facilities must be filled up to 75% by September 1, up to 85% by October 1 and up to 95% by November 1

Underground gas storage facilities (UGS) in Germany are 75% full as of mid-August, Klaus Müller, head of the Federal Network Agency (BNA), said on his Twitter.

The German authorities had previously adopted requirements according to which underground gas storage facilities must be completed to 75% by September 1st, to 85% by October 1st, and to 95% by November 1st. “The goal of the first stage has been achieved. <…> Next goal— 85% by October 1,” Müller wrote.

At the same time, in an interview with the Financial Times, Müller said that Germany should cut gas consumption by 20% to avoid energy restrictions in the coming winter.

On August 5, the EU approved a voluntary 15% reduction in fuel consumption this winter. The purpose of this measure— save gas for this winter to prepare for possible disruptions in supplies from Russia, which uses energy “as a weapon,” the EU explained.

Countries— EU members agreed to reduce gas consumption by 15% compared to the averages over the past five years from August 1 to March 31, 2023. In this regard, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck announced on August 12 that in the coming autumn and winter, public buildings in Germany will be heated to a temperature of 19 degrees, instead of the usual 22.

Chapter EC Ursula von der Leyen said at the end of July that Russia “deliberately chopped off” deliveries to 12 EU countries (she did not specify which countries). She blamed the energy crisis on Moscow and urged EU countries to prepare for the worst this winter.

The Kremlin, responding to German fears that Russia would cut off gas, had previously argued that Moscow “is very, very careful about its reputation, the reputation of a responsible supplier.” The Russian side associates the situation with pumping with sanctions.

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Reuters reports first US oil tanker arrives in Germany

The tanker loaded crude oil off the coast of Louisiana in the US and offloaded it in Rostock, Germany, Reuters reported. German refineries are looking for alternatives to Russian raw materials due to the partial EU embargo, which will come into force in December 673w” type=”image/webp” media=”(max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >

Tanker Capricorn Sun

A tanker has delivered US sour crude to the German city of Rostock for the first time amid attempts by local refineries to find an alternative to Russian crude, Reuters reported, citing sources, analysts and vessel tracking data.

We are talking about the tanker Capricorn Sun. It loaded crude oil off the coast of Louisiana in the US and offloaded it in Rostock on August 3, the agency writes.

The tanker was delivering high-sulphur Mars Sour oil. This is the first shipment of this oil to Germany.

According to Jim Mitchell, head of oil research in the Americas at Refinitiv, in the past there were only “a few” US oil in Germany from the United States. deliveries of another grade— West Texas Sour.

German refineries are looking for an alternative to Russian oil in connection with the partial EU embargo. It will come into force in December and will affect sea supplies of Russian raw materials. Under the EU ban, not only oil in its pure form will fall, but also as part of mixtures— so-called blends.

This embargo was included in the sixth package of EU sanctions. The European Union expands restrictive measures against Russia in connection with the events in Ukraine.

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CNN learned about Moscow’s request to include Krasikov, convicted in Germany, in exchange

CNN: Russia asked the United States for the exchange of life-sentenced in Germany Vadim Krasikov According to the channel, in the United States, the satisfaction of such a request was considered problematic, since Vadim Krasikov is serving a life sentence in Germany. Nevertheless, Washington clarified with Berlin whether they are considering such a possibility

The Russian side asked to include in the prisoner exchange with the United States former FSB officer Vadim Krasikov, who was sentenced in Berlin to life imprisonment for the murder of Georgian citizen Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, CNN reports citing sources.

According to them, the request was transmitted through unofficial channels of the FSB. Sources noted that for this reason and because Krasikov is serving a sentence in Germany, the United States considers it difficult to fulfill the request.

An interlocutor of the TV channel in the German government said that American officials nevertheless sent a request to Berlin to find out if Germany was ready to consider such a possibility. A United States administration official described the request as a “status check”; Krasikov. A source in Berlin said that the German authorities did not seriously consider the exchange of the Russian, and this discussion did not reach high-ranking officials.

According to several sources CNN, even if the extradition of Krasikov fails, Russia will most likely ask for two prisoners in exchange for the Americans Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner.

Khangoshvili was killed in Berlin in the summer of 2019. According to investigators, Krasikov rode up to him on a bicycle and shot him three times with a pistol. A Georgian citizen died on the spot, and a Russian was detained.

Krasikov was sentenced in Germany in December last year. The court agreed with the prosecutor's office, according to which it was not just about the murder of a Georgian citizen, but about the fulfillment of the “state order to kill on German soil.” Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement in Khangoshvili's murder. President Vladimir Putin called him a “separatist” who took part in the hostilities and one of the organizers of the terrorist attack in the Moscow metro.

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Germany decided to send tanks to Ukraine

Inhabitants of the eastern and western lands of Germany have different attitudes towards supplying Kyiv with weapons

Germany is providing additional support to the Ukrainian forces by supplying tanks. This move comes amid reports of permission to sell howitzers for the Kyiv army.

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

The German Ministry of Defense has decided to send 16 Biber bridge-laying tanks to Ukrainian forces, the ministry said on Friday.

“Biber will allow Ukrainian troops to cross water barriers or obstacles in battle,” the German defense ministry said in a statement. – Delivery of the first six systems will take place this year, starting in autumn. Ten more systems will appear next year.”

As The Guardian explains, Biber tanks are armored support vehicles equipped with a bridging system that can be used to help troops cross streams, ditches or other obstacles on the battlefield.

The announcement of the tanks being sent to Ukraine was taken a few days after it became known that Germany had given the green light to the request of the defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann to produce 100 Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers for the Ukrainian army.

While the Economics Ministry's legal move does not yet constitute a sale of howitzers, it was nonetheless seen as a significant increase in Germany's long-term support for Ukraine's war effort.

Following initial reports in Der Spiegel, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann confirmed that Kyiv ordered 100 howitzers from the company for a total of 1.7 billion euros, and that the German Ministry of Economics gave the necessary permission on July 13.

Germany has already sent nine Panzerhaubitze 2000 artillery systems to Ukraine from the warehouses of its own army, which have been put into operation in the conflict zone since the end of June.

In May, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht allowed the delivery of 15 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks with about 60 thousand rounds of ammunition. A Social Democrat politician said this week that five of these tanks have already arrived in Ukraine.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a historic departure from Germany's pacifist stance on military spending in a February 27 speech, but faced criticism for not backing up the rhetoric with technology.

While public support for sending arms to Ukraine in Germany remains stable despite growing concerns about the gas crisis, opinions in the west of the country and in the eastern states differ significantly.

While 54-61% of respondents in a regular Forsa poll favored military support Kyiv since early May, only 32% of respondents in the east said in a poll this week that giving Ukraine heavy weapons was the right thing to do.

At a public dialogue in the southern city of Bayreuth Thursday night, Economics Minister Robert Habeck was booed by a group protesters holding placards with the word Kriegstreiber (“warmonger”). The “green” politician, who spoke out in support of sending weapons to Ukraine even before Russia launched a special operation, said that the majority of the German population was “resolute and united” in their position and that Russian “imperialism” would not stop in Ukraine.

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Political scientist from Germany spoke about the termination of US world leadership

“America does not rule”

Despite the fact that in early June the US and the EU discussed a possible truce within the conflict without Ukraine, Washington representatives later stated that they did not intend to negotiate with Moscow to resolve the conflict without the participation of Kyiv. Political scientist from Germany Vladimir Sergienko is convinced that this indicates the end of the world leadership of the United States.

Photo: pixabay.com

In an interview with Sputnik radio, the expert agreed that Kyiv's allies could not agree on the current situation without Ukraine. According to Sergienko, Russia, in turn, is able to negotiate with anyone, both without Ukraine and without the United States. For example, as the expert noted, if the Russian Federation wants to, it will negotiate with Ukraine without America, and maybe even negotiate with the United States without Ukraine.

The political scientist gave an example that Russia had just reached agreements on food exports, in the discussion which were attended by Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the UN. Sergienko wondered where the United States is and where the European Union is, stating that “there are none at all.”

The specialist admits that sometimes it seems to him that the United States understands that their world leadership has ended, their “ replaced” and now it has become possible to resolve issues without them. Thus, according to Sergienko, when the Americans say that they will not resolve the issue without Ukraine, there is a feeling that someone suggested that they do so. The political scientist emphasized that no one made such proposals to the United States, and they declare this for third countries that are used to the fact that “America rules”, although in fact it no longer “steers”.

Read also :Political scientist Romero stated the defeat of the West amid the easing of anti-Russian sanctions

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Germany plans to spend up to €10 billion to rescue Uniper

The gas importer will discuss measures of financial assistance with the German authorities, Chancellor Scholz will take part in the meeting. Germany can allocate up to €10 billion and get a 30% stake in Uniper. The company has suffered from a reduction in gas supplies

The German authorities are close to concluding an agreement with the energy company Uniper on the allocation of financial assistance in connection with the reduction in Russian gas supplies, official Berlin may receive a stake in the company. This is reported by the Handelsblatt newspaper, Bloomberg and Reuters agencies, citing sources.

Germany intends to invest more than €5.1 billion in Uniper, while the total investment is unlikely to exceed €10 billion, Berlin may buy hybrid securities along with common stock at par value to raise capital, the sources said.

The exact amount is still being discussed, its final approval is expected in the coming days. In exchange, the German authorities will receive a blocking stake of up to 30% of Uniper's securities, Bloomberg and Handelsblatt sources said. Interlocutors of Reuters specified that a share of 15 & ndash; 30% is being discussed. Now the largest shareholder of the company is the Finnish state energy company Fortum Oyj, it owns 78%.

In addition, the management of Uniper is negotiating with the German state bank KfW to obtain a new credit line. The parties plan to discuss the details of support from the German government at a meeting on Friday, July 22, with the participation of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, write Bloomberg and Handelsblatt. Two people familiar with Reuters noted that Uniper's aid package is scheduled to be agreed by July 25 before the company could face more problems.

Negotiations between the parties have been going on for several weeks, Uniper's problems began after the start of Russia's special operation in Ukraine, which led to an increase in energy prices. The German company was forced to purchase large volumes of Russian gas at higher prices on the spot market.

On July 8, Uniper turned to the German government for help, on July 11, the company began to withdraw gas from its own storage facilities, in a week the amount of fuel seized reached 2 TWh By July 18, Uniper's credit line from the German development bank KfW in the amount of €2 million was exhausted.

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“We are compelled to take measures that must be clearly defined as emergency,” — Uniper CEO Klaus-Dieter Maubach emphasized at the time.

Uniper is one of the largest electricity generation companies in the world, it is the third largest zero-carbon electricity producer and the second largest largest nuclear producer, the website says.

The company was ready to pay Russia for gas under a new scheme through Gazprombank, which has been in effect since April. Uniper made its first payment at the end of May.

Gazprom in June, he twice reduced gas supplies to Germany via Nord Stream 1, the company explained this situation by the Siemens Energy turbine being repaired in Canada. Her return was hampered by the current sanctions. After requests from official Berlin, Ottawa agreed to return the turbine. According to Kommersant, she was sent on July 18, she will arrive in Russia by July 24.

On July 11, the Russian company completely stopped the flow of gas through the pipeline until July 21, explaining this by planned work. “Gazprom” sent a force majeure notice to European companies, indicating that it could not guarantee gas supplies from June 14, Reuters wrote. Uniper considered the supplier's demand unreasonable and rejected it.

The German government and Siemens Energy management considered that political reasons, not technical conditions, were the reasons for the reduction in supplies. According to Vice Chancellor Robert Habek, repairs on the gas pipeline were not to be carried out until autumn, and they were also not supposed to affect more than 40% of Nord Stream's infrastructure. “Even if it were, it would never justify such a large reduction in gas flow,” — noted in Siemens Energy. The Kremlin denied the accusations and assured that they value the reputation of a reliable supplier.

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Bild learned about the risk of an emergency in Germany in the event of a cessation of gas supplies from Russia

Bild: German authorities allow emergency situations in winter if gas supplies from Russia are cut off Germany will face a gas shortage in winter if it is left without Russian gas, members of the government say. They stated the risk that Russia would not resume gas supplies after the Nord Stream shutdown for repairs

The German government allows emergency situations to arise in certain federal states, if Russia does not will fully resume gas supplies after repairs on the Nord Stream gas pipeline. Members of the Cabinet of Ministers discussed this topic at a secret gas summit at the invitation of the Minister for Special Assignments Wolfgang Schmidt, writes Bild.

To avoid emergencies, the country needs to increase the volume of gas imports from Russia to 40%, but the chances of the Russian side agreeing to this step remain low, the newspaper writes.

At an urgent meeting, the government stressed that gas prices will rise double or triple, and the state will not be able to fully cover the growth of citizens' expenses.

The gas crisis arose in Europe after the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, when the EU countries imposed sanctions and decided to reduce dependence on Russian gas imports. German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck said that the country expects to achieve complete independence from fuel from Russia by the summer of 2024, when Russia's share will be 10% of the total supply. Despite this, the German authorities allowed companies to pay for Russian gas in rubles, as required by Gazprom. according to the decree of President Vladimir Putin. According to the scheme proposed by Moscow, the buyer opens two accounts with Gazprombank— currency and ruble. Funds for gas are transferred to a foreign currency account, then the bank itself converts them into rubles.

June 14 Gazprom reduced the volume of supplies via Nord Stream; from 167 to 100 million cubic meters m per day due to a delay in the repair of a turbine by the German company Siemens at a plant in Canada due to sanctions against Russia in response to military operations in Ukraine. The next day, the company decommissioned another gas turbine engine. Then the volume of pumping through the pipeline was reduced to 67 million cubic meters. m of gas per day.

The Vice-Chancellor then said that the reasons for the reduction in gas supplies are political, not technical. Khabek pointed out that Gazprom was not supposed to carry out repair work on the pipeline until autumn. He expressed fear that Russia could cut off gas supplies, and President Vladimir Putin is trying to put pressure on the market, raise gas prices in Europe in order to “ignite social unrest and destroy unity.”

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Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko denied the political background of the Nord Stream shutdown. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed the European Union for cutting gas supplies.

On July 10, the Canadian government allowed the turbine to be handed over to Germany following Habek's request. Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson explained that with the Russian gas supply cut off, the German economy would face “serious difficulties” and citizens could be left without heating.

July 11, the gas pipeline operator Nord Stream Nord Stream AG has suspended gas supplies for ten days. The company explained the shutdown with planned repairs.

The day before, the head of the German Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, said that German gas storage facilities were 65% full, but this was not enough to keep heating systems running in winter. “Much depends on whether the gas goes through the pipeline and in what quantity,” — he noted. At the same time, the politician urged the Germans not to panic, as Germany will be able to pump gas from Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium, and in the future— from liquefied natural gas terminals.

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Senator Pushkov appreciated Germany’s reaction to Ukraine’s protest over the turbine

Senator Alexei Pushkov said that Ukraine's outrage over Canada's return of the turbine for Nord Stream was rejected by Germany because it has no basis.

Photo: pixabay.com

Senator Aleksey Pushkov said that Ukraine's indignation over Canada's return of the Nord Stream turbine was rejected by Germany because it has no basis. Thus, he commented on Berlin's reaction to the protest of representatives of Kyiv in connection with Canada's decision to return the turbine for the gas pipeline.

Recall that earlier the Minister of Natural Resources of Canada, Jonathan Wilkinson, will return the repaired turbines for Nord Stream to the country's authorities, despite sanctions. This will happen at the request of Germany. After this decision, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that this decision by Canada was “absolutely unacceptable.”

“Canada did not coordinate this step with the European Union. The authorities of the country brought the turbine under their sanctions due to thoughtlessness. In this regard, they were forced to reverse,” Pushkov said on social networks.

According to him, the European Union and Germany did not impose sanctions on gas supplies from Russia.

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Scholz announced problems with energy security in Germany for years

Germany will not be able to solve the energy security problem for several years, although it is already building pipelines, LNG terminals and changing laws. Authorities are preparing “for shortages, for example when it comes to gas,” said Scholz

Olaf Scholz

Germany's energy security problem will not be resolved for several years, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a video message posted on the government's website.

“We build pipelines, LNG terminals (liquefied natural gas. — RBC). We guarantee that it is stored in our gas storage tanks. And we ensure the use of coal-fired power plants to save gas, — added Scholz.

According to him, the authorities are striving for the country not to depend on oil, coal and gas imports in the long term and to increase the share of renewable energy sources. They are changing legislation for this at a pace “which has never been seen before in Germany, and which is necessary,” concluded the Chancellor.

In March, the German chancellor said that the EU did not dare to impose sanctions on Russian energy supplies, since it would not be possible to ensure the energy security of the union in other ways than at their expense. However, already in early June, a partial oil embargo was included in the sixth sanctions package. The ban applies to sea shipments and applies not only to oil in its pure form, but also to mixtures— so-called blends.

Against the backdrop of the imposition of anti-Russian sanctions by the European Union, annual inflation in the eurozone rose to a record 8.6% in June. Energy has risen most of all there— by 41.9% in annual terms.

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Against the backdrop of the crisis, the German authorities have repeatedly urged residents to save energy. Economics Minister and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said that the country could only survive the winter with significant energy savings and full storage. He admitted that he himself began to save on his soul due to the limitation of Russian gas supplies and the risk of its shortage.

Earlier, on June 14, the Russian “Gazprom” notified the German side that he was going to reduce the gas supply from the planned 167 million to 100 million cubic meters. m per day due to the non-return of the Siemens turbine for the Nord Stream gas pipeline; refurbished from Canada. The next day, another gas turbine engine was taken out of service, which reduced the volume of pumping to 67 million cubic meters. m of gas per day.

The Russian company explained what was happening with a delay in the repair of Siemens units (it decided to leave the Russian market in May), which are being repaired in Montreal, Canada. It is difficult to take them out of there because of the sanctions. The Kremlin insisted on a similar version of the current situation, assuring that Russia remains a responsible supplier. Siemens considers the decision of “Gazprom” political. The same opinion was expressed by Khabek, who assumed that Moscow could completely cut off gas supplies.

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Spiegel learned that Germany had found a supplier of shells for the tanks promised to Kyiv

Ammunition will be produced in Norway. Germany promised to transfer 30 installations to Kyiv at the end of April, but the deliveries had to be postponed, as the German authorities could not get ammunition for them in time

Before the start of the Russian military operation, Germany refused to transfer weapons to Ukraine, but then changed its position. On February 26, Berlin decided to transfer 1,000 Panzerfaust anti-tank missiles and 500 Stinger missiles to Kyiv. In addition, the German authorities approved the transfer of 400 anti-tank guns produced in the country from the Netherlands and nine D-30 howitzers and ammunition from Estonia. Then, on April 28, the Bundestag approved the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine.

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The Bundestag announced the start of collecting data on the oppression of Russians in Germany

Representatives of the faction of the German Bundestag “Alternative for Germany” (more than 80 seats) established a non-profit organization (NPO), which began to collect complaints from citizens about infringement and persecution against native speakers of the Russian language, as well as immigrants from Russia, said Bundestag deputy and authorized faction for Russian Germans Yevgeny Schmidt in an interview with RIA Novosti ;.

“I was elected authorized to work with Russian Germans. And a couple of days after the appointment, it was decided to create an NGO that would deal with the problem of discrimination against the Russian-speaking population in Germany, provide them with comprehensive support, including legal support, and, if necessary, bring cases to court with the involvement of their lawyers,— said the MP.

He clarified that, as part of his duties, he intends to maintain contact with the Russian public, work with Russian Germans, oversee interaction with the media and consult with the Bundestag on these issues.

The fact that Russians and Russian-speaking residents of Germany began to complain about harassment in early March, said the Russian ambassador in Berlin, Sergei Nechaev. He claimed that the hotline launched by the diplomatic mission was receiving a “stream of complaints”.

“We are seeing a manifestation of discrimination against them on the basis of nationality and language. It affects not only the citizens of Russia directly, but also those people who prefer to express themselves in Russian and use Russian as the main means of communication, — noted the ambassador.

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Vice Chancellor of Germany considers the reduction in gas supplies a sign of the work of sanctions

German Vice Chancellor Calls Cuts In Gas Supplies Sign Of Effective Sanctions Gas shortages appear in Germany, but cuts in supplies from Russia show that sanctions are working, Vice Chancellor said

Reduction in gas supplies from Russia can be considered an indicator of effective sanctions, German Vice Chancellor, Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck said on RTL TV channel.

Russia receives money from the sale of fossil fuels, but sanctions limit the list of those goods and services , which Moscow can import, he noted.

Khabek suggested that Russia cannot acquire anything with the money from energy supplies. “If she no longer needs this money, then Russia can reduce gas supplies. It is also a sign that the sanctions are extremely effective,— the minister emphasized (quote from TASS).

He called gas a scarce commodity in Germany and said that Russia uses it as a weapon against the country.

Western countries have imposed unprecedented sanctions against Russia in response to the country's military operation in Ukraine. Among them is a ban on monetary relations with Russian individuals, legal entities and organizations.

June 14 Gazprom announced a reduction in gas supplies through the Nord Stream gas pipeline; from 167 million to 100 million cubic meters m per day. This happened due to the fact that the German company Siemens delayed the repair of gas pumping units of the Portovaya compressor station.

Siemens explained that gas turbines for Nord Stream Produced by Canada, they were delivered to Russia in 2009. One engine is undergoing refurbishment in Montreal, but the repaired turbines cannot be returned due to Canadian sanctions.

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Problems with gas transit also occurred due to the development of the overhaul life of gas pumping units and technical malfunctions of engines, which were revealed by Rostekhnadzor, Gazprom said.

The next day, the company decommissioned another gas turbine engine from the German company Siemens at the station «Portovaya», as the time between overhauls before the overhaul was ending. Since June 16, the plant's capacity has dropped to 67 million cubic meters. m of gas per day.

“From a technological point of view, the mechanical infrastructure of this pipeline is suffering because of the sanctions imposed by the European Union”,— Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

On June 23, Germany raised the emergency warning level for gas to the second. He suggests that utilities will be able to sell gas to businesses and households at high prices in order to reduce demand.

After that, Peskov said that Russia is strictly fulfilling all its obligations to supply gas to Germany.

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Spiegel learned about Germany’s plans to nationalize part of Nord Stream 2

According to the publication, the plan is being developed by the German Ministry of Economy. It is assumed that the section running through the territory of Germany will be cut off from the main part of the gas pipeline and connected to the floating LNG terminal

The German Ministry of Economy is considering the possibility of nationalizing a fragment of Nord Stream— 2», which is located on the territory of the country, writes Spiegel.

After that, the German part will be cut off from the rest of the pipeline and can be connected to a floating LNG terminal, the publication explains. This section is already included in the country's gas transportation system, and it will be possible to supply gas to the south of Germany through it.

Spiegel also points to the shortcomings of such a plan. Firstly, it may take a long time to agree on changes: the territory along which the pipeline is laid is protected as part of the pan-European Natura 2000 network, and the requirements will be strict. There are also legal difficulties associated with the project operator— Swiss company Nord Stream 2 AG.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the publication in the absence of official statements and specific actions.

Nord Stream — 2″ runs along the bottom of the Baltic Sea through the waters of Russia, Germany, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, it was completed last year. The German authorities suspended the certification of the project after Russia recognized the independence of the DPR and LPR. The US Treasury has sanctioned the pipeline operator and its chief executive, Matthias Warnig, freezing their assets and isolating them from the dollar system.

After that, Reuters, citing sources, reported that Nord Stream 2 AG is considering filing for bankruptcy. The company laid off 106 employees, but declined to confirm reports that bankruptcy proceedings have begun. In May, a court in Switzerland suspended the company's bankruptcy process until September 10, giving the Nord Stream operator 2″ temporary moratorium on payments to creditors. Transliq AG has been appointed interim manager.

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The head of “Gazprom” Alexey Miller said in June of this year that the gas pipeline is under pressure and gas can be delivered to Europe even now through it. The company redirected the project's unclaimed capacities to the north-west of Russia.

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Scholz called Germany’s mistake in relations with Russia

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz supported the policy of Angela Merkel in relations with Russia The current chancellor refused to condemn the policy of his predecessor Angela Merkel, noting that an attempt to negotiate peacefully could not be a mistake. Scholz considered it a mistake that Germany became dependent on Russian energy resources =”Scholz called Germany's mistake in relations with Russia” />

Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's policy towards Russia was not wrong, an attempt at peaceful coexistence cannot be, but Berlin's energy dependence from Moscow is a mistake, acting Prime Minister Olaf Scholz told DPA.

“An attempt at reconciliation can never be wrong, as well as an attempt to negotiate peacefully with each other. So I see myself closely next to my predecessor,»,— he said (quote from Welt).

According to him, a mistake has been made in the energy policy of Germany in recent years— Germany has become overly dependent on Russian energy resources, without creating the necessary infrastructure “so that in case of emergency it could quickly turn the situation around.” At the same time, Scholz refused to condemn Merkel's policy, saying: “I have always worked well with the former German chancellor and see no reason to question this in retrospect.”

Scholz also defends Merkel's decision to oppose Ukraine's NATO membership in 2008. Then she explained her position by the fact that only those countries in which the bloc is supported not only by politicians, but also by a significant percentage of the population should join the alliance. Later, Merkel said that Ukraine and Georgia, whose accelerated membership was decided at the summit, could become NATO members, but the time has not come yet.

“NATO membership criteria must be met by any state that wants to join an alliance. Ukraine's accession to NATO did not take place,” Scholz noted, stressing that President Vladimir Putin nevertheless justified the start of the military operation.

The dependence on Russian gas supplies and the country's ability to use this as leverage was warned in the United States as early as the 1980s. In 1981, the Reagan administration, in response to the introduction of martial law in Poland, tried to stop the construction of the main export gas pipeline Urengoy— Pomary— Uzhgorod, which was attended by European companies and banks. Washington imposed a ban on the supply of high-tech equipment from the United States to the USSR, and in 1982 tightened the embargo, banning the supply of products to foreign affiliates of American companies.

The European partners of the US refused to support these sanctions and declared them illegal. As a result of negotiations with representatives of European governments, on November 13, 1982, US President Ronald Reagan announced the lifting of the embargo on the supply of oil and gas equipment to the USSR.

Read on RBC Pro Pro Parallel imports: what goods can be imported from Turkey to bypass sanctions 4 More Types of Candidates HR Doesn't Like Super Mario Investment Principles p> The German authorities, after the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions against Russia, including the supply of coal, oil, and so far only the ban on Russian gas under discussion, said that it was hard for the country to abandon energy resources from Russia. So, on June 13, Scholz, speaking at the EU summit in Brussels, said that the German government is doing everything possible to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas as soon as possible, but there are “serious practical problems” with this.

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Germany decided to help export Ukrainian grain by rail

The German authorities are discussing the creation of a monetary fund to accelerate the export of Ukrainian grain by rail. The German government believes that in this way it will be possible to export only 10 million tons ” alt=”Germany decided to help export Ukrainian grain by rail” />

Germany intends to help with the accelerated export of Ukrainian grain to the EU by rail. Michael Theurer, commissioner of the German government for rail transportation, told Handelsblatt newspaper about this.

“We are doing everything possible to ensure that grain can be transported from Ukraine by rail to prevent global famine,”— he said.

According to the politician, the German authorities are considering the possibility of creating a fund for the purchase of new containers for grain. Also in Berlin, they allow the provision of assistance with terminals for reloading grain at the Ukrainian border. Theurer believes that out of 23 million tons of grain stored on the territory of Ukraine, 10 million will be able to be exported in this way. about 25 million tons of grain are blocked in the country, and by autumn this volume will increase to 75 million. According to him, Ukraine can export up to 10 million tons of agricultural products per month through ports, and by rail 2 million tons.

In May, the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Solsky said that due to the blockade of the country's seaports, 7 million tons of wheat, 14 million tons of corn grain, 3 million tons of sunflower oil and 3 million tons of sunflower cake did not enter the world market.

Ukraine accuses Russia of blocking courts. The authorities of the United States and a number of other countries believe that the Russian military operation has led to an aggravation of the food crisis. Moscow, in turn, claims that the reason for the blockade of grain supplies was “illegal actions”; West, which must be canceled to resume exports. The Russian authorities also claimed that Ukrainian ports and the water area near them were mined and merchant ships could be blown up.

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On June 12, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmitry Senik said that Kyiv had developed two routes for grain exports, they pass through Poland and Romania. “These routes are not ideal because they create certain congestion, but in the meantime we are doing our best to develop them,” — he told Reuters. According to Senik, Ukraine is also discussing the creation of a third corridor through the Baltic countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that the easiest way— export of Ukrainian grain through the territory of Belarus, and from there— to the Baltic ports, to the Baltic Sea, further & mdash; to anywhere in the world. Zelensky rejected this idea.

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What is known about the invasion of the Maybug in Germany?

The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany is alarmed by the invasion of the Maybug. According to the statements of German farmers, the pests have already caused great damage to pastures and private plots.

According to the agrarheute.com portal, the pest infestation threshold has been exceeded in the country — more than 40 larvae per square meter. On pastures, the situation is aggravated by another factor. The dark side of success in protecting nature has made itself felt. Breeding wild boars, whose population has almost doubled over the past five years, are very fond of feasting on the larvae of the May beetle and, in search of this culinary delight, they literally plow the fields, massively damaging the herbage.

No less damage is done to private adjoining plots. The Ministry in a special release recommends unscheduled tillage to reduce the pest population. An emergency permit was also issued for the use of a biological product made from concentrated spores of a fungus that parasitizes adult insects and kills them in a few days. However, the use of this remedy, according to experts, is unlikely to give a quick desired result: the effectiveness of the drug is greatly reduced by direct sunlight.

Link to the source https://www.agrarheute.com 

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Welt learned that sanctions against Gazprom Germania will cost Germany €5 billion

According to Welt, this amount includes gas supplies at higher prices from new suppliers, after Russia imposed sanctions against former Gazprom subsidiaries. In addition to providing consumers, Berlin needs to fill storage

Russian sanctions against Gazprom Germania and subsidiaries under its control could cost German gas consumers an additional €5 billion a year, writes Welt am Sonntag, citing unnamed representatives industries.

The companies were “subsidiaries” of Russian “Gazprom”, however, the latter stopped participating in them on April 1. On May 11, Russia imposed sanctions against Gazprom Germania and a number of companies under its control. The next day, German Vice Chancellor, Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habek announced that the former subsidiaries of Gazprom no longer receive gas. At the same time, he assured that the market will be able to compensate for the falling supplies.

Welt writes that the reorientation to other gas suppliers will create a strong burden on the federal budget, as gas will be purchased at higher prices. Since mid-May, a MWh of natural gas has cost Germany about €85 since mid-May, while the usual cost before the start of the Russian operation ranged from €20 to €30.

According to the authorities, the FRG, after the cessation of supplies to Gazprom Germania and its subsidiaries, an additional 10 million cubic meters of gas per day is needed, which will cost about €3.5 billion per year, the publication claims. The rest of the costs will be for filling the Rehden storage facility in Lower Saxony with gas. By October 1, it should be 80% full. According to Welt, filling can be very slow, so Berlin does not have time to wait for gas prices to drop, and the process should start now.

From October, a new surcharge will be established for gas consumers to compensate for increased costs , the newspaper clarifies.

The German Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection did not comment on possible additional spending on gas purchases, citing trade secrets.

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The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Germany announced the threat of wiretapping of officials by Russia

The Federal Office for the Protection of the German Constitution draws the attention of politicians and civil servants to the risk of eavesdropping by the Russian special services, said the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Nancy Feser, Bild reports.

Such risks, according to the agency, exist in key areas, for example, in the government quarter. They pointed out that “the risk of eavesdropping and the risk of unauthorized data leakage are real and should not be underestimated.”

Feather said that Russia is waging a “hybrid war” and therefore Berlin is forced to act in order to defend itself. “That is why we expelled 40 people from the Russian embassy in Berlin whom we suspected of collaborating with the Russian special services,” — she explained.

The material is being supplemented.

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Germany says EU unity over sanctions against Russia is ‘collapsing’

The summit of the EU countries, where new sanctions against Russia will be discussed, will be held from May 30 to 31. According to the head of the German Finance Ministry, EU unity on sanctions against Moscow on the eve of the summit “begins to crumble”

Robert Habek

EU unity regarding sanctions against Russia “begins to crumble”; ahead of the summit, which will discuss the oil embargo and plans to reduce dependence on Russian energy. This was stated by the head of the German Ministry of Economics Robert Habeck, reports Reuters.

According to him, after the start of Russia's special operation in Ukraine, “we saw what can happen when Europe is united.” “In view of tomorrow's summit, let's hope that this will continue. But this unity is already beginning to crumble, — he said.

Habek urged Germany to speak at the summit “with one voice” and not abstain from voting due to disagreements within the country's ruling coalition. He called for similar unity in other EU states.

Since the end of February, Russian companies, banks and citizens have been subject to Western sanctions: officials, parliamentarians, public figures, heads of state companies and journalists. In the last— the fifth package of sanctions— The EU has also banned coal imports and restricted freight.

Since May, the European Commission has been working on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. Initially, it was planned to include a ban on the purchase of all Russian oil— both raw and purified, said the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. However, the package of measures could not be agreed upon, including due to the position of Hungary, which did not agree to abandon Russian oil.

On May 29, Bloomberg reported that the EU may provide for the exclusion of supplies via the Druzhba oil pipeline; from the sanctions package. “Such a compromise would buy Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban time to agree on the technical details of a gradual halt to pipeline supplies to his country,” publication indicated.

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In response to Western sanctions, the Russian authorities announced retaliatory measures, and the government developed and adopted a large-scale package of measures to support the economy. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak previously warned that the rejection of Russian hydrocarbons threatens to collapse the gas and oil markets, since Russia is their largest supplier.

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Spiegel learned about the “stuck” negotiations between Germany and Poland on tanks

Spiegel: relations between Germany and Poland have escalated due to the supply of weapons to Ukraine In exchange for the tanks that Poland supplies to Ukraine, Warsaw expects to receive the latest Leopard tanks from Germany, its NATO partner, but Berlin has not yet done so, the newspaper notes

Relations between Germany and Poland have escalated due to protracted negotiations on the supply of weapons to Ukraine, writes Spiegel.

According to the publication, the negotiations of the countries on the exchange of arms “stuck”, as Warsaw asked to replace its tanks supplied to Ukraine, on the latest German Leopards, but Berlin still hasn't.

Poland has already transferred almost all of its 240 Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine, in connection with which the Polish authorities expect Germany to fill in the gaps with German equipment. However, unlike the Czech Republic, Poland does not want to be content with old German tanks, but demands the supply of modern models for service, including Leopard tanks.

Berlin cannot agree to such a deal, since the Bundestag itself does not have them in available, notes Spiegel. German Defense Minister Christina Lambrecht acknowledged at a closed meeting on May 16 that she had almost no hope that Berlin could come to an agreement with Warsaw.

“There were promises from the Germans to strengthen our defenses, unfortunately, none of this was realized,” — said Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Szymon Szynkowski.

At the end of April, Polish Radio reported that Warsaw, as part of military assistance, transferred to Kyiv more than 200 Soviet T-72 tanks, as well as several dozen BMP. Prior to this, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki confirmed the transfer of tanks to Kyiv.

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Warsaw supplied Kyiv with approximately $1.59 billion worth of military equipment, including 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers; and Grad rocket launchers, the radio station reported. Poland also handed over air-to-air missiles air» for MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft.

In return, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to supply Poland with a Challenger 2 tank if it sends T-72 tanks to Ukraine.

Kyiv has repeatedly accused Germany of not supplying heavy weapons. Thus, Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk noted that Kyiv has the impression that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not want to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine.

It looks as if Berlin is waiting for a truce and no longer need will make “bold decisions,” he added.

In late April, the lower house of the German parliament supported a document calling on the government to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine. However, Scholz said that Berlin would not supply Western-made battle tanks to Kyiv until the United States and other allies did so.

Russia strongly opposes the supply of weapons to Ukraine, Moscow has repeatedly said that convoys with such equipment will be considered legitimate targets.

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