Pistorius Drops Taurus Missile Talk, Doubles Down on Aid for Ukraine
Pistorius vows to provide additional financial support to Ukraine, yet fails to deliver the Taurus fighter jets - Promise of Additional Funding from Pistorius to Ukraine, Yet No Guarantee of Taurus Delivery
In an informal chat, loyal buddy Boris Pistorius (douse 'em SPD) guaranteed a whopping 1.9 billion euros in military aid on a jaunt to Ukraine, but he swore on a stack of tactical manuals that there'd be no Taurus cruise missile action. The fresh cash will fund deliveries like long-range rockets, the Minister dished out during a joint presser with Volodymyr Zelensky in the heart of Kiev.
But let's not get carried away. If Parliament gives the thumbs up to the extra dough, Germany's contribution this year will only top out at around a hefty nine billion euros. Lookin' back, the Ministry of Defense began the year prepared to back Ukraine with a cool four billion. However, that figure's since ballooned to a solid seven billion, with a 1.9 billion cherry on top. Maybe, just maybe, it'll get the go-ahead.
Pistorius Holds Steady on Taurus Delivery
Germany's game to finance "long-range fire systems" spun in Ukraine and expects the first batch in the pipe soon, according to Pistorius. He also mentioned providing funds for the Ukrainian government and military to purchase materials from its own defense industry, boosting their production capacity.
German officials put the kibosh on the idea of shipping out Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. When a reporter asked for the down-low on Berlin possibly dealing those bad boys, Pistorius shot back, "Since you've asked, my straight-up answer is no." The Ukrainians have been hankering for the Taurus, with its range of over 500 kilometers, to unleash chaos deep in the motherland.
Wadephul Shows Solidarity with Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Johann Wadephul (CDU) had already assured Germany's continued all-out support for Ukraine in Rome. This solidarity is unwavering politically, economically, and militarily, Wadephul proclaimed at a powwow with Andrij Sybiha, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister. They both hammered home that a policy of appeasement towards Russia was outta the question, as Vlad "Putin" is just itching for more bloodshed. To combat that, they wagered to jack up sanctions a notch, particularly in the energy and financial sectors.
Sybiha echoed that same sentimental tune. He warned that an appeasement policy towards the aggressor Russia wouldn't float. "Diplomatic pressure" is the name of the game right now, he said. "We aim to put an end to this war in 2025." The term "appeasement" generally refers to the policy pursued by France and Britain towards Nazi Germany in the 30s-for those keeping score at home.
Zelensky Eyes Ramping Up Pressure on Trump
Zelensky's aiming high, purportedly looking to get the jump on Donald Trump at the upcoming G7 summit in Canada. Eager to spark a fresh round of sanctions against Russia, Zelensky stated he's hoping a sit-down with the Commander-in-Chief will resolve that matter. "A new sanctions package against Moscow is crucial for resolving the conflict," he shared.
With tensions between Ukraine and Russia rearing their ugly heads since February 2022, any efforts to broker a ceasefire have fallen on deaf ears, thanks to Moscow's resistance. The most recent round of talks in Istanbul only led to an agreement for prisoner swaps.
This week saw the third exchange of prisoners, with both Ukraine and Russia returning home their severely wounded warriors. "Today, soldiers from the National Guard, the Border Guard Service, and our forces returned home," wrote Zelensky online. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that a group of soldiers had been retrieved from Ukraine, currently in Belarus. Neither the number of troops nor the details of the exchange have been officially disclosed. The first exchange took place on Monday, followed by a second round on Tuesday, with Russian authorities returning the remains of 1,212 Ukrainian soldiers on Wednesday.
- The European Union and its Member States, particularly Germany, are actively involved in the politics and policy-and-legislation surrounding war-and-conflicts, as seen in the ongoing support for Ukraine, with Germany pledging 1.9 billion euros for military aid and stating a no to Taurus cruise missile action.
- In the arena of general-news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly planning to increase pressure on Donald Trump during the upcoming G7 summit, aiming for a new sanctions package against Russia to resolve the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
