The fronts in the Ukraine conflict are still hardened. Diplomatic efforts do not bring any relaxation.
- Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock* wants to travel to Kiev in the Ukraine conflict.
- Russia* drives more and more troops to the border with Ukraine. According to the USA*, Vladimir Putin* has gathered enough troops at the border to be able to take over the entire country.
- US President Joe Biden* has announced that he will be moving more troops to Eastern Europe.
- All information and news about the Ukraine conflict in our current news ticker.
+++ 9.30 a.m .: According to its own statements, Russia does not want to “back down” in the Ukraine conflict despite the threat of sanctions by the USA. “It is Washington, not Moscow, that is fueling tensions,” the Russian embassy in Washington said on Facebook on Tuesday. Russia will “not back down and stand to attention” while the US formulates its threats of sanctions.
The embassy went on to say that the Russian troops currently massed on the Ukrainian border “do not threaten anyone”. It is Russia’s “sovereign right” to deploy its armed forces within its territory. The embassy responded to a statement by the US State Department on Twitter. Washington accused Moscow of invading Ukraine in 2014 and annexing Crimea.
Ukraine conflict: Orban discusses European security situation with Putin
Update from Tuesday, February 1st, 2022, 7:00 a.m.: According to its own statements, the USA has received a new written response from the Russian government in the exchange of letters on the Ukraine crisis. A spokesman for the US State Department confirmed receipt of the letter on Monday without going into detail about the content. “We believe that negotiating in public would not be productive, so we will leave it to Russia to discuss its response if it wishes,” he said.
The spokesman reiterated, “We remain fully committed to dialogue to resolve these issues and will continue to consult closely with our allies and partners, including Ukraine.” The exchange of letters came on the eve of another phone call between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is expected to visit Putin on Tuesday. The talks will deal, among other things, with questions of security in Europe, as the Kremlin announced.
Ukraine conflict: SPD discusses Russia course – “Avert war in the middle of Europe”
First report, January 31, 2022: Berlin – SPD leader* Lars Klingbeil has defended the position of his party and Chancellor Olaf Scholz* in the Ukraine conflict. “We are completely clear on that,” said Klingbeil on Monday in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”*. “The escalation comes from Russia. We are absolutely clear that all options are on the table. But we are also clear that the task now is to organize peace.”
“When the Chancellor stands up and says that all options are on the table should Russia attack Ukraine’s territorial integrity, then that is clear and unequivocal,” said Klingbeil on Monday (January 31, 2022). “This is a clear announcement against Russia.”
Russia: The focus must be on a diplomatic solution
However, the focus must now be on finding a diplomatic solution in order to prevent an escalation. It’s about “having as many talks as possible and looking for diplomatic channels,” said the SPD leader. “I don’t want us now, through threats, through actions, to get into a situation in which suddenly – perhaps unintentionally – a war situation arises in the middle of Europe.”
| Russia: | Russian Federation |
| Population: | 144.1 million (2020) |
| Capital city: | Moscow |
| Prime Minister: | Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin |
Klingbeil reacted calmly to the statements made by former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD)*, who had criticized Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens*) and complained of a “saber rattling” in Ukraine. “It shows how emotional the situation is right now. It’s about the question of how we can avert war in the middle of Europe,” said the SPD leader. Foreign Minister Baerbock has the “full support” of the current SPD leadership.
Ukraine conflict: SPD leadership discusses different attitudes towards Russia
“Many can express themselves, but we as the current SPD leadership make decisions together with Chancellor Olaf Scholz,” emphasized Klingbeil.
The Ukraine crisis recently revealed the conflict between different party currents in the SPD. While representatives of the left wing of the party continue to rely on relaxation, more conservative Social Democrats are calling for a tougher approach to Moscow. Meanwhile, the US also wants to discuss Russia’s “threatening behavior” in the UN Security Council. (afp/dpa/df) *fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubrics: © Efrem Lukatsky/dpa
