Ukraine ticker Selensky promotes European peacekeeping force +++ Hungary criticizes peace summit in Paris

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched its war against Ukraine in violation of international law. There is no end in sight. The developments in the ticker.

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9.35 pm

British Prime Minister: Only US security guarantee will deter Russia

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is pushing for a security guarantee from the USA for Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement with aggressor Russia.

"Europe must play its part and I am prepared to consider sending British ground troops alongside others if there is a lasting peace agreement," Starmer said in Paris this evening. "But there must be US reassurance, because only a US security guarantee can effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again."

Starmer had taken part in informal consultations on Ukraine and security in Europe with several other European heads of state and government and the heads of the EU and NATO in the French capital.

The talks, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, took place under the impression of the US government's drastic change of course in foreign policy. The USA wants to transfer responsibility for securing a peace deal to the Europeans.

"We must now recognize the new era in which we find ourselves. We must not cling hopelessly to the comforts of the past," warned Starmer. "The time has come for us to take responsibility for our security, for our continent." The UK will play a leading role in this - because Ukraine, Europe and the UK must have a secure future. "And democratic values must prevail," added Starmer.

20.02 hrs

USA does not want to impose a negotiated solution on Kiev

In the run-up to his first meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky, the US special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, emphasized that the USA would not impose a negotiated solution on the country attacked by Russia. "The Ukrainians' decision is a Ukrainian decision," Kellogg told journalists on Monday after talks at Nato headquarters in Brussels.

Kellogg added: "Zelensky is the elected head of state of a sovereign nation, these decisions are his decisions and no one is going to impose them on an elected head of state of a sovereign nation."

Kellogg is traveling to Ukraine on Wednesday for a three-day visit. Among other things, he will meet Zelensky for talks. Kellogg's visit to Ukraine is to follow a meeting between US representatives and Russian government officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

According to Kellogg, US representatives are currently working simultaneously with Ukrainian and Russian representatives to bring both countries to the negotiating table. He himself is in charge of the talks with Kiev within this framework.

However, Kellogg said that representatives of other European countries were not taking part in the current talks. It was neither "reasonable" nor "feasible" for "everyone to be at the table". European states would, however, make a "contribution".

7.32 pm

Scholz "irritated" by peacekeeping force discussion

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has once again rejected the discussion about a European peacekeeping force as "completely premature". "I am even a little irritated by these debates, I want to say that quite frankly," said Scholz after the Ukraine summit in Paris.

Possible outcomes of peace talks that have not yet taken place are being discussed over the heads of the Ukrainians. "This is highly inappropriate, to put it bluntly and honestly."

It is an "inappropriate debate at the wrong time and on the wrong topic", said Scholz. "We are not yet at peace, but in the middle of a war brutally waged by Russia, which is being pushed forward without consideration."

18:56

Hungary criticizes peace summit in Paris

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto sees no chance of ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia at the European crisis meeting organized by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

"So today, pro-war, anti-Trump and frustrated European politicians are gathering in Paris to prevent a peace agreement with Ukraine," the minister said at a press conference in the Kazakh capital Astana, as reported by the Hungarian state news agency MTI.

Macron's guests had always advocated war between Russia and Ukraine, "poured oil on the fire" and "pursued a misguided strategy", Szijjarto said. "Moreover, these countries and their leaders have made a sport of denigrating Donald Trump in recent years," he added.

Hungary's right-wing populist government of Viktor Orban has always tried to prevent sanctions against Russia and aid for Ukraine at EU level since the start of the war. Orban maintains good relations with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

18:40

Future of aid organizations' help for Ukraine uncertain

Aid organizations such as that of the Protestant Church of Switzerland spoke of an "enormous loss of income" following the freezing of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). This also affects aid for war-torn Ukraine.

In 2025, the effects of the US government's decision to close USAID and stop contributions to the humanitarian projects co-financed by USAID in Ukraine are still unclear, according to the aid organization of the Protestant Church of Switzerland (Heks).

The aid organization will have to close the humanitarian projects that were financed exclusively by USAID, it had previously said. In addition to the political component, the aid organization is also seeing a decline in donations - including in Switzerland. However, this was to be expected, according to an inquiry.

At the beginning and in the first few months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the willingness to donate in Switzerland was very high. As a result of the increased focus of media and public interest on other trouble spots such as the Middle East, including Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, there has been a certain shift in the volume of donations.

Caritas Switzerland also confirmed this development when asked by Keystone-SDA: the longer the war in Ukraine lasts, the more the population's willingness to donate decreases. This is due in particular to the attention paid to other crises that are perceived as acute.

Nevertheless, the war in Ukraine has triggered an enormous wave of solidarity. "Never before in its almost 125-year history has Caritas Switzerland received so many donations for a crisis event," said Caritas media spokesperson Niels Jost.

5 p.m.

Selensky promotes European peacekeeping force

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has made a strong plea for European peacekeeping troops ahead of the summit meeting in Paris.

"I think we have made a lot of progress on the issue of a contingent," the head of state told journalists at the end of his visit to the United Arab Emirates, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

The deployment of peacekeeping troops on the territory of Ukraine could be the first step towards the creation of a European army, which he has proposed. "I believe that this is the first platform for Europe's future armed forces, capable of striking back in the event of an unprovoked war by Russia," emphasized Selensky.

A platform of "strong countries" that want to be part of it is possible. "That is very important. Not those that we force into it, but those that want to," said the Ukrainian President. Because it makes a difference whether an army participates voluntarily or is forced to do so.

"We want security guarantees not only on paper, but on the ground, in the water, in the air, air defense, airplanes, ships," said Selenskyj.

15:30

Zelensky does not recognize US-Russia talks on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi does not want to accept possible agreements between the USA and Russia on the war in his country.

"Ukraine considers any negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine to have no result," said Zelenskyi in an interview with journalists during a visit to the United Arab Emirates. He explained that Ukraine had not been informed about the US-Russian meeting this Tuesday in Saudi Arabia and would not take part in it.

"And we cannot recognize things or agreements about us without us. And we will not recognize such agreements," the head of state told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency in Abu Dhabi.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart Marco Rubio are meeting in Riyadh to discuss a resumption of dialog between their two countries. They will also discuss possible negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine.

Zelensky also in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday

Zelenskyi said that the USA and Russia could discuss issues relating to their bilateral relationship, but not the fate of Ukraine. He will also be in Saudi Arabia this Tuesday to speak with the country's leadership. However, the Ukrainian emphasized that the visit had nothing to do with Lavrov and Rubio's talks.

The head of the Ukrainian president's office, Andriy Yermak, had said at the weekend that there would be no meeting with the Russian side until a plan to end the war had been worked out.

3.18 pm

Zelensky travels to Turkey for meeting with Erdogan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is traveling to Turkey for a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The visit on Tuesday in Ankara will focus on current regional and global developments, Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun announced on Platform X. The presidential chancellery in Kiev confirmed the visit.

Zelensky is currently undertaking a series of visits abroad. On Monday, he met President Mohammed bin Sajid in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A visit to Saudi Arabia is also planned. In Riyadh and Ankara, the main topics will be economic issues, but also security in the Black Sea, said Ihor Brussylo, deputy head of the presidential office, on Ukrainian television.

13:35

Lavrov sees no place for EU in Ukraine talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sees no need for the participation of EU representatives in the talks to resolve the Ukraine conflict. "I don't know what they have to do at the negotiating table," said Lavrov in view of demands from the EU to be involved in the talks.

Lavrov said before his first meeting with his US counterpart Marco Rubio this Tuesday in Saudi Arabia that the Europeans had been involved in negotiations several times in the past without contributing to a solution.

Russia accuses the West of having contributed to the overthrow of the pro-Moscow Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. Moscow also complains that the Minsk agreement on the ceasefire in the Donbass region ten years ago was also concluded with the mediation of Germany and France in order to strengthen Ukraine militarily.

Russia rejects territorial concessions to Ukraine

Lavrov refused to make territorial concessions to Ukraine in the course of possible negotiations. At his meeting with Rubio, the minister said that he primarily wanted to listen to US ideas. During their telephone conversation last week, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump spoke about the need to put the "absolutely abnormal time in the relations between the two superpowers behind them".

It was about resuming the dialog on all issues, including the situation in the Middle East and other troubled regions of the world in addition to Ukraine, Lavrov said. Russia would respond to the proposals from the US side. Lavrov, who is accompanied in Riyadh by Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, explained that further steps would be discussed afterwards. According to the Kremlin, the talks are also about preparing for a possible meeting between Putin and Trump in Saudi Arabia.

11.07 a.m.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov meets US delegation in Riyadh

In a significant diplomatic move, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet a US delegation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday to discuss possible negotiations to end the Ukraine conflict. This meeting marks a potential turning point in relations between Moscow and Washington.

The USA will be represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently on a trip to the Middle East. In addition to Saudi Arabia, Rubio is also visiting Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. In the run-up to the meeting in Riyadh, Rubio held a telephone conversation with Lavrov in which he reaffirmed the USA's commitment to ending the Ukraine conflict. Both sides discussed the possibility of resuming regular contacts between the presidents of the two countries.

5.40 a.m.

Crisis summit today in Paris: Will Europe find an answer to Trump?

The main topic at today's meeting of European heads of state and government in Paris is the question of how Europe should react to the drastic change of course in US Ukraine policy. This is clearly aimed at forcing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin into negotiations on an end to the war and transferring responsibility for securing a peace deal to the Europeans.

Read more here.

1.46 am

Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia: Rubio leads delegation

Representatives of the USA and Russia want to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days for peace talks on Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is to lead the delegation, which aims to bring an end to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, a US government representative, who wished to remain anonymous, told the AP. Security adviser Mike Waltz and the US special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, are also to take part in the talks. It initially remained unclear who will be part of the Russian delegation.

Hours earlier, Witkoff had announced the talks in Saudi Arabia on US broadcaster Fox. He will leave on Sunday evening and hold talks with Waltz at Trump's behest. He hoped to make "some really good progress on Russia and Ukraine", Witkoff said. Trump had said after a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that their negotiators should immediately begin talks on ending the fighting. Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj.

It initially remained unclear whether Ukraine would be involved in the peace talks in Saudi Arabia. However, according to Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, a Ukrainian delegation also arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. This was to prepare for a possible visit by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Svyrydenko wrote on Facebook. She left open whether such a visit would be in connection with the peace talks for Ukraine announced by US President Donald Trump and when it could take place. Svyrydenko merely wrote that the delegation was to prepare economic agreements.

Trump told reporters on Sunday that Zelenskyi "will be involved", but did not elaborate on what role he would play in the talks. Zelensky had previously said he would not accept negotiations that did not include his country. European governments have also called for a role in the talks.

Andriy Yermak, the head of the presidential office in Kiev, wrote on Telegram on Sunday that it was currently not foreseeable that Ukrainian and Russian representatives would meet directly in the immediate future. Mychajlo Podoljak, another advisor to Selenskyj, denied on Saturday that Ukraine would take part in the planned meetings between the USA and Russia in Saudi Arabia. "There is nothing on the negotiating table worth discussing," he said on Ukrainian television.

The US government official told the AP that the talks in Saudi Arabia were an early stage of negotiations that were still in flux. Who will ultimately sit at the table during the talks could still change.

Monday, February 18, 2025, 0.59 am

Starmer: Great Britain ready for Ukraine peacekeeping force

On the eve of a crisis meeting of European supporters of Ukraine, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed his "readiness and willingness" to send peacekeeping troops to the country attacked by Russia if necessary. In a guest article for the Telegraph, Starmer wrote that the UK could play a "leading role" in working on security guarantees for Ukraine. In the event of the end of the war, this would also mean deploying troops on the ground if necessary. It is the first time that Starmer has been so specific about this.

"I am not saying this lightly," the Prime Minister wrote in the article, which was published on the evening before today's summit meeting of European heads of state and government in Paris. He is aware of the responsibility that comes with the fact that British servicemen and women may be in danger.

"But any role in ensuring the security of Ukraine helps to ensure the security of our continent and the security of this country," Starmer wrote. The end of the war that has been going on since February 2022, if it comes, should not just be a pause before Russian President Vladimir Putin allows his troops to attack again.

In addition to Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the heads of state and government of Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark are also expected in Paris. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President António Costa and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also be present. The host is French President Emmanuel Macron.

The Europeans will discuss how to deal with the change of course in US policy in the Ukraine war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior Russian representatives reportedly want to discuss an end to the Russian war of aggression in Saudi Arabia this week - without the involvement of Ukraine or other European representatives.

Starmer wrote that he would meet US President Donald Trump "in the coming days". Europe and the United States must continue to work closely together on the Ukraine issue, the British Prime Minister emphasized. According to diplomats, the question of what the Europeans can contribute to a possible peace deal will also be discussed in Paris. The possibility of deploying a peacekeeping force has been discussed repeatedly in recent weeks, particularly in France and the UK.

This morning I spoke to President @ZelenskyyUa and reaffirmed that there can be no talks about Ukraine, without Ukraine.

Ukraine has our concrete support – for as long as it is needed.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) February 14, 2025

11.32 pm

Trump: Meeting with Putin could take place "very soon"

US President Donald Trump has said that he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin "very soon". "There is no date yet, but it could be very soon," Trump said on Sunday when asked by a journalist when he would meet the Kremlin leader in Saudi Arabia. Trump had held an hour-and-a-half telephone conversation with Putin on Wednesday and subsequently declared that he had agreed with him on the "immediate" start of negotiations on the future of Ukraine.

22:59

Ukraine war in German TV debate: Three candidates against Weidel

The candidates for chancellor from the CDU/CSU, SPD and Greens have attacked AfD chancellor candidate Alice Weidel for her stance on the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. In a four-way televised debate on RTL, Weidel said that US President Donald Trump and his vice president had made it clear that a ceasefire should finally be negotiated in Ukraine and peace concluded. The AfD had repeatedly called for this for almost three years and "we had to take a lot of abuse for it".

Union chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz accused Weidel of avoiding the statement that Russia had started the war in Ukraine without any justification. "You're just running around and avoiding the issue," the CDU chairman said to the AfD leader. Merz emphasized that Russia's war was not only directed against Ukraine, but "against the entire political order that we built together after 1990". He therefore took Putin's threat very seriously. The Russian president is dreaming of restoring "Greater Russia", he said, including parts of Poland and parts of the Baltic states - "he has NATO territory in his sights".

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) emphasized that no one should decide the fate of their country over the heads of the Ukrainians. Green Party candidate for chancellor Robert Habeck said that Trump and his government had launched "a frontal attack on the community of values of the West". They are questioning the rules-based order and liberal democracy, which is why they have no problem "making deals" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. That is why Europeans must now stand together to defend what has been built up over the past decades. Habeck said: "Under no circumstances should we throw ourselves into the dust in front of America, in front of these announcements."

22:26

Selenskyj arrives in the United Arab Emirates for a visit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday for a visit. Selenskyj published a video showing him disembarking from an airplane. He had traveled to the Emirates with his wife for a state visit, he wrote on the online service Telegram.

The focus of the visit was on efforts to "bring more of our people home from captivity". It was also about investment and economic cooperation. "A major humanitarian program", Selenskyj added. The United Arab Emirates has acted as a mediator between Kiev and Moscow since the beginning of the war to help with the exchange of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children from Russia.

Selenskyj has said that he also wants to visit Turkey and Saudi Arabia in the coming days. However, he emphasized on Friday that no meetings with representatives of the USA or Russia were planned during his trip.

Zelensky will visit Saudi Arabia to sign “economic agreements” while the U.S. and Russia prepare for talks in Riyadh

Ukraine’s Minister of Economy, Yulia Sviridenko, wrote about the arrival of a Ukrainian government delegation in Riyadh to prepare for President Volodymyr… pic.twitter.com/VnMH17ZHSF

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 16, 2025

21:27

Navalnaya: Take to the streets for the people of Russia

On the first anniversary of the death of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, his widow Yulia Navalnaya remembered him in a very personal way. She had lived with a great person, she said at a memorial service in Berlin's Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. "All those years, it was as if we had just met."

"My political mission is to see Vladimir Putin's regime end quickly," she said. This will hopefully also enable her to return home to a normal and democratic Russia. "I dream of returning."

She called on Russian government opponents who have emigrated to demonstrate, for example on March 1 in Berlin. "Wherever we are, we must take to the streets for the people of Russia. They can't take to the streets. We have to be their voice."

8 p.m.

Rubio: Ukraine and Europe must be part of real negotiations

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio considers the participation of both Ukraine and the Europeans in peace negotiations for the conflict with Russia to be essential. "If there are real negotiations - we're not there yet - but if there are, then Ukraine has to be involved because they're the ones who were invaded. And the Europeans need to be involved because they too have imposed sanctions on Russia and Putin and because they have contributed to this effort," Rubio said in an interview on US broadcaster CBS's "Face The Nation" program.

"We're not there yet, we're really not, but hopefully we will be and we'd all like to see this war end," Rubio said. Rubio did not say in the interview who will be part of the Russian delegation or when exactly the meeting will take place.

US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz denies claims that Ukraine and Europe aren't included in peace talks. He stresses their consultation but adds talks are under Trump's leadership. Rubio also confirms upcoming Saudi talks with Russia, stating "the next few days" will show if… pic.twitter.com/LAORKaxY2m

— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) February 16, 2025

18:25

Heavy fighting near Kursk

Russian and Ukrainian troops have once again engaged in heavy fighting in the western Russian region of Kursk. The General Staff in Kiev reported several Russian attacks with artillery support, but without giving specific locations. A few days ago, the Ukrainian armed forces had made new territorial gains near Kursk in surprising advances.

The Ukrainian "Magura" brigade fighting near Kursk reported a strong counterattack by a Russian naval infantry unit. "A column of more than a dozen tanks and about a company of enemies of the Russian 155th elite brigade of marines was thrown into battle with red victory banners," Ukrainian media quoted from the combat report.

However, the Russian unit was caught in a minefield and attacked by a swarm of drones. The tanks and soldiers ultimately fell victim to the drones. In its online edition, "Ukrainska Pravda" published a video of a battle showing the destruction of numerous tanks on a snow-covered field. The report and video could not be independently verified.

Росіяни пішли на штурм на Курщині під радянськими прапорами... через мінне поле. Що з того вийшло - показує 47 бригада pic.twitter.com/N8pBheAvMX

— Українська правда ✌️ (@ukrpravda_news) February 16, 2025

16.13 hrs

USA rebuffs Selenskyj with contract proposal for rare earths

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has rejected an agreement proposed by the USA on the exploitation of rare earths in his country. He has instructed his ministers not to sign the proposed agreement because it does not sufficiently protect his country's interests, Selsnskyj told the AP news agency. A senior Ukrainian government official said the proposal offered no specific security guarantees in return for rare earths. A former member of the government confirmed this.

According to them, the proposal was a central part of Zelenskyi's talks with US Vice President J.D. Vance on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday. Rare earths were to be supplied as compensation for the support already provided to Ukraine under Joe Biden's previous government and as payment for future aid. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bassent presented the draft agreement on Wednesday during a visit to Kiev.

⚡️'A colonial agreement' — former Ukrainian official slams US minerals deal, AP reports.

The U.S. delegates in Munich did not offer any security guarantees in exchange for Ukraine's rare earth minerals, current and former senior Ukrainian officials said.https://t.co/mwIztpOjDN

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 16, 2025

3.29 pm

Tens of thousands out in the cold after drone attack in southern Ukraine

According to the authorities, over 100,000 people in the large city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine have been cut off from their heating supply following the Russian shelling of a heating plant. "This is further clear proof that Russia is waging war against our population and against life itself," wrote President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on X.

Today, more than 100,000 people in Mykolaiv were left without heating after a Russian Shahed drone struck the city's critical infrastructure. An ordinary Ukrainian city. Ordinary civilian infrastructure. It has nothing to do with hostilities or the frontline situation. This is…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 16, 2025

It was a targeted attack "to leave people without heating in sub-zero temperatures and cause a humanitarian catastrophe", wrote head of government Denys Shmyhal on Telegram. The attack took place during the night. However, the damage could not be repaired the following day.

To bridge the gap, the local authorities have set up warm-up points. In the city, 67 such facilities have been set up and three mobile heating plants have been put into operation in healthcare facilities, Schmyhal announced.

1.15 p.m.

Ukraine meeting on Monday

Paris has confirmed that European heads of state and government will meet in the French capital on Monday to discuss US President Donald Trump's plans to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron was confirmed by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in an interview on France Inter.

12.47 pm

Russians rejoice: "Can attack London, Brussels and Paris"

In a talk show on Russian state television, well-known propagandists Vladimir Solovyov and Sergey Mikheyev reacted with visible satisfaction to the latest statements by the US government under President Donald Trump. The decision to make Europe more responsible for its own security in future was interpreted as a retreat by the USA - and as a weakening of the Western alliance.

According to Solovyov, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had repeatedly emphasized that Europe would have to take care of its own defence and could no longer count on unlimited military support from Washington. Mikheyev added that this meant that "Brussels, London and Paris" would be on their own in an emergency. "Now we can actually attack Brussels, London and Paris," said Mikheyev.

Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which states that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all, could then be forgotten by Europe.

Sunday, February 16, 2025, 11 a.m.

People commemorate Navalny

One year after the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison camp, many Moscow citizens have laid flowers at the grave of the Kremlin critic at the Borisovskoye cemetery. The police granted them access, but the mourners were filmed by officers, according to independent media reports. Among the visitors to the grave were foreign diplomats, including US Ambassador Lynne Tracy and EU Ambassador Roland Galharague.

Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, wrote on Instagram that there had not been a day this year when she had not thought about Navalny, laughed with him, consulted with him internally, but also discussed things with him. "I love you very much, I miss you very much, I miss you so much."

Navalny was the best-known opponent of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. In 2020, he was poisoned during a visit to Siberia to prepare for regional elections. After he was flown to Germany in a coma for treatment, the Berlin Charité hospital diagnosed a nerve agent as the cause. The Russian government denied any involvement in the attack.

22.02 hrs

Ukraine rejects signing of agreement on minerals for USA

The Ukrainian head of state, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, has said that he refuses to sign an agreement on the supply of important Ukrainian raw materials to the USA for the time being. He has forbidden his ministers to sign the agreement as it "does not protect us", Selensky told journalists at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. The Ukrainian president demanded that the agreement must contain "security guarantees" for his country, which is under attack from Russia.

The US government is seeking an economic agreement with Kiev under which Ukraine would, for example, supply the USA with rare earths in return for military support for the country. Selenskyj had shown himself to be open to US investments in this area. Ukraine has large deposits of lithium and titanium, which are of great importance for the aerospace industry and for the construction of electric vehicles.

US President Donald Trump wants to quickly end the war in Ukraine and thus also the billions in aid for Kiev. On Wednesday, he held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin without first coordinating this with his allies in Europe or Ukraine. Afterwards, Trump declared that he had agreed with the Kremlin leader to start negotiations on the future of Ukraine "without delay".

This raised fears among Western allies that Ukraine and its European partners would be excluded from the Ukraine talks. The US administration later clarified that Kiev should be involved in the talks.

21:53

G7 foreign ministers continue to pledge "unwavering support" to Ukraine

The foreign ministers of the G7 countries have pledged their "unwavering support" to Ukraine. Following a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, they reaffirmed their "determination to work together for lasting peace and a strong and prosperous Ukraine", as they said in a joint statement. They also referred to the need to develop solid security guarantees for Ukraine.

The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of the G7 states - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA - as well as EU foreign affairs representative Kaja Kallas and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha.

The statement referred to the previous sanctions against Russia. The imposition of new sanctions would be made dependent on "whether the Russian Federation makes genuine, good faith efforts to bring about a lasting end to the war against Ukraine", it said.

The G7 states also condemned the supply of dual-use goods, i.e. equipment with both civilian and military applications, to Russia by China and the military support provided to Russia by North Korea and Iran.

21:14

Lavrov and Rubio talk on the phone to prepare for the summit

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov spoke on the phone for the first time since the new US administration took office. "Regular contacts were agreed, including preparations for a Russian-American summit at the highest level," the Foreign Ministry in Moscow announced. It was agreed to create a communication channel to reduce the accumulated problems.

According to the US broadcaster Fox News, direct talks between Russia and the USA on ending the war in Ukraine are to take place next week. On the US side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will take part in the talks in Saudi Arabia. It was not initially clear who would come to Saudi Arabia from the Russian side.

According to Moscow, the telephone conversation was initiated by Washington. Both sides expressed their willingness to improve the tense relations. Topics discussed included the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the improvement of bilateral trade relations.

The US State Department confirmed the conversation. It followed the telephone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rubio had once again emphasized Trump's determination to find an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

20.28 hrs

Europeans should report military capacities for Ukraine to the USA

The US government has called on Germany and other European allies to report possible contributions to security guarantees for Ukraine. According to the German Press Agency, the countries are to indicate, among other things, how many soldiers they could send to Ukraine for a peacekeeping force or training programs after the end of the Russian war of aggression. It is also said to be about weapons systems and the question of what is expected of the USA.

The background to the US request is apparently US President Donald Trump's plan to negotiate a solution for an end to the Russian war against Ukraine at a meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. He expects the Europeans to take responsibility for ensuring that Russia does not attack Ukraine again once an agreement has been reached.

According to diplomats, the question of what the Europeans can contribute to a possible peace deal will also be discussed at a meeting between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other European heads of state and government in Paris this Monday. They were surprised last week by Trump's push for talks with Putin and now fear that the Ukrainians could be forced to make concessions that they do not actually want to make. These include, among other things, the provisional renunciation of NATO membership. The USA has also already declared that it does not want to send troops to Ukraine itself.

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said on the fringes of the Munich Security Conference that he was aware that the questionnaire existed. He had not seen it himself, but he could fully understand that it would help to focus the talks.

17:00

Belarus rejects rearmament plans

The political leadership in Belarus (formerly Belarus) has denied plans for rearmament and military provocation of neighboring countries. "We do not pose a threat to anyone, we are not increasing the number of troops or weapons systems - unlike our neighbors, the Poles and the Balts, who are focusing on militarization," said the politically influential Secretary of the National Security Council in Belarus, Alexander Wolfovich. In order not to provoke anyone, no exercises are planned near the border with the NATO states this year.

At the security conference in Munich, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi had previously warned that the Kremlin was planning to deploy troops to Belarus, citing intelligence sources. The deployment would be disguised as a joint military maneuver.

According to Wolfovich, Belarus is planning around 100 maneuvers this year, including joint ones with its ally Russia. That is as many as in the previous year. While Wolfovich emphasized the renunciation of exercises near the border with Poland and the Baltic states as an "example of good neighborly relations", he said nothing about possible maneuvers near Ukraine.

3.05 pm

Selenskyj: Moscow prepares troop deployment to Belarus

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of Russia's military preparations for possible further confrontations. At the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyi said that Ukraine had intelligence that the leadership in Moscow was planning to deploy soldiers to its ally Belarus this summer. He also referred to the further armament of the Russian armed forces and the recruitment of additional soldiers.

The deployment in Belarus would be declared a military exercise. But this was also how the invasion of Ukraine was prepared three years ago. It was unclear to whom such a deployment of troops could be directed. He sees no signals for peace from Moscow.

"Belarus borders three NATO states. It has become a foothold for Russian military operations," said Selenskyj. He mentioned long-range Russian missile systems and the stationing of nuclear weapons in the country. Zelensky called on his country's Western partners to address the question of what to do before the next possible attack.

Saturday, February 15, 2025, 12 noon

Zelensky calls for a European army

At the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi spoke out in favor of joint European armed forces. Europe must shape its own future in the face of the Russian threat and the weakening US commitment, said Selenskyj. "Europe needs its own armed forces."

However, these should not replace NATO, he added, addressing his "good friend" NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. It was about putting the European security contribution on a par with the American one.

Europe must be strong because it is not clear whether the USA only needs it as a sales market or also as an ally. "President Trump does not like weak friends. He respects strength." Some in Europe may be frustrated with the EU in Brussels. "But let's be very clear: If it's not Brussels, it's Moscow!" he warned.

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