live blog
Status: 01.05.2022 01:17
According to the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Melnyk, the German government’s commitment to the supply of Gepard tanks is not enough. 213,000 Ukrainian families are apparently without gas and heat. The developments on the live blog.
1:17 am
High criticism of Baerbock’s performance in Ahrensburg
During an election campaign in Ahrensburg, near Hamburg, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock once again defended her support for the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. “We want to help people in Ukraine so that they can defend themselves against Putin’s war of aggression, which violates international law,” the green politician said on Saturday before an audience of about 1,000 people.
“But what would it mean if we didn’t do anything? Would that mean one less bomb dropped? No,” she said. With his appearance, Baerbock provided campaign assistance to Monika Heinold, the Greens’ leading candidate in the Schleswig-Holstein state election. A new state parliament will be elected there on May 8.
According to police, about 150 people tried to disrupt the event in the town hall square. They greeted Baerbock and Heinold with piercing sirens and shouts like “warmonger” and “liar”. According to police, however, there were no incidents.
1:16 am
Chancellor Scholz defends his course
Chancellor Olaf Scholz defends his policy in Ukraine against accusations that he is acting too hesitantly and fearfully in the face of Russian aggression. “I make my decisions quickly – and in coordination with our allies. I suspect a rash action and the German acting alone,” the SPD politician told “Bild am Sonntag”.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz accused the chancellor of being anxious and procrastinating on German arms deliveries to Kiev this week. Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk also called Scholz’s policy slow. “Olaf Scholz is probably doing like Angela Merkel: wait, watch and decide later – or not. What is missing is imagination and courage,” he told “Bild am Sonntag” in view of the German reaction to the invasion of Russia’s army.
After the report, Scholz made it clear that he wanted to stay the course. “I’m not scared enough to be impressed by such claims,” he said. At the same time, he emphasized that harsh criticism of his decisions was legitimate. “In a democracy, it’s part of the opposition to be tough on you. That’s what they’re there for.”
12:50 pm
Melnyk calls for more weapons deliveries to Ukraine
According to the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, the German government’s promise to deliver Gepard tanks to their home country is not enough. “The direction is right, but of course that won’t be enough,” says Melnyk of Bild am Sonntag.
Gepard tanks are 40 years old, “to defeat Russia we need the most modern German weapons”. That’s why Ukraine wants “the rapid export of 88 Leopard tanks, 100 Marder tanks, self-propelled howitzers and more,” Melnyk said.
“But rethinking people’s minds is crucial. We have been living the biggest war in Europe for 80 years. You can no longer win it with 30 or 100 tanks. It would be important to have a German Lend-Lease law like in the USA and an alliance of long term against Russia.”
12:20 pm
Naftogaz: 213,000 Ukrainian homes currently without gas and heat
The CEO of Ukraine’s biggest energy provider, Naftogaz, Yuriy Vitrenko, complains of massive damage to his country’s gas pipeline network by Russian troops. “Bombing destroys infrastructure every day, and we are constantly trying to repair it,” Vitrenko said in an interview with “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (RND), adding: “213,000 Ukrainian families are currently without gas.”
There is massive damage to the gas network in major cities like Mariupol or Kharkiv, but also many lines destroyed in smaller cities and towns in eastern Ukraine. “People need gas for heating, for cooking and for hot water,” said Vitrenko.
1:11 am