German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv — what is the purpose
Category
Ukraine
Publication date

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv — what is the purpose

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv — what is the purpose
Source:  NTV

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius made an unannounced visit to Kyiv to discuss further support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Points of attention

  • German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius made an unannounced visit to Kyiv to discuss support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
  • The signal from Germany confirms its willingness to support Ukraine and remain close in the European context.
  • Germany has transferred the first RCH 155 howitzer to Ukraine, indicating its intention to help strengthen the defense sector.
  • Ukraine can count on the support of Germany and other allies in the fight for peace and security.
  • The initiative to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities confirms the formation of strong allied ties between the countries.

What is known about Pistorius' visit to Kyiv?

As the publication notes, the minister emphasized that this visit demonstrates Germany's willingness to actively support Ukraine.

"It is important for me to show that we continue to support Ukraine. This is a signal that Germany, as the largest NATO country in Europe, remains by Ukraine's side. We are acting together with the 'Big Five' and other allies," Pistorius said.

Before his arrival in Kyiv, Pistorius held consultations with colleagues from Poland, France, Italy and other countries. Now Germany, together with partners, is seeking to step up efforts to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.

Ukraine received the first RCH 155 howitzer from Germany

"Ukraine can count on us, and this is a signal. Germany is ready to take responsibility in Europe," said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksiy Makeyev symbolically accepted the first howitzer out of 54 planned for transfer.

The first six systems will remain in Germany, where they will be used to train Ukrainian military personnel.

"We don't need mediators, we need allies. We need to fight for peace. It's nice to know that Germany is on Ukraine's side," the Ukrainian ambassador said, commenting on the possibility of negotiations to end the war.

RCH 155 (Remote Controlled Howitzer) is a modern German self-propelled artillery mount developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

Category
Politics
Publication date

Victory or Survival. What's Wrong with Biden's Ukraine Plan?

What Biden's plan really was
Source:  TIME

According to TIME senior correspondent Simon Schuster, Ukraine really had a chance to defeat the Russian army in the first years of the war, but, they say, the plan of American leader Joe Biden never envisaged Ukraine's victory, but only its salvation from total defeat.

Points of attention

  • The main goal was to ensure Ukraine's survival as a sovereign state and its aspiration for integration with the West.
  • Biden also sought to maintain US unity with allies and avoid direct conflict between NATO and Russia.
  • Only Biden's latest decisions have become the most painful for Russia.

What Biden's plan really was

According to Simon Schuster, after the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2024, Biden set three goals for his country.

However, what is important to understand is that there was no clause about Ukraine's victory among them.

The journalist drew attention to the fact that the traditional formulation of the Biden team, namely to support Ukraine "as long as necessary" was intentionally vague, without any specifics.

According to Eric Green, who worked on Biden's National Security Council, the White House "deliberately avoided" discussing territorial issues.

"In the White House's view, this would be beyond Ukraine's ability, even with significant Western assistance. It would not be a victory story. The more important goal was the survival of Ukraine as a sovereign democratic state, free to seek integration with the West," Shuster emphasized.

According to him, one of Biden's goals is precisely Ukraine's survival, not its victory.

What else did Biden aspire to?

Shuster also emphasized that the head of the White House tried to preserve the unity of the United States and other Western allies.

Another goal is to avoid direct conflict between NATO and Russia.

Despite Joe Biden achieving each of these goals, the "success" leaves little room for complacency.

There is too much suffering for Ukraine and too much uncertainty about what this will ultimately lead to.

The expert draws attention to the fact that only in the last months of his tenure did Joe Biden approve several decisions that became truly painful.

This is not only about permission to use American missiles to strike Russian territory, but also about tough sanctions against the Russian energy sector.

Category
Politics
Publication date

Trump and Biden met at the White House before the inauguration of the 47th US president

Trump
Source:  CNN

US President-elect Donald Trump arrived at the White House on January 20, where he was greeted by incumbent President Joe Biden.

Points of attention

  • President-elect Donald Trump met with incumbent President Joe Biden at the White House before the 47th US President's inauguration ceremony.
  • Notable guests, including the President of Argentina, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos, attended the inauguration ceremony at the US Capitol.
  • Traditionally, the outgoing president accompanies the president-elect to the US Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony, but in 2021, Trump broke this tradition.
  • The inauguration ceremony was moved indoors due to severe frosts in the United States, limiting the attendance to about 800 people.
  • Before the ceremony, Joe Biden left a letter for Donald Trump in the Oval Office, igniting curiosity among journalists and viewers.

Trump met with Biden before the inauguration

First, Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrived for the service at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House.

Church service

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden then welcomed Trump and Melania Trump to the White House, where they are expected to have tea together.

After which, according to tradition, the outgoing president accompanies the president-elect to the US Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.

"Welcome home," said the current US president.

The Trump and Biden couples

Traditionally, the outgoing president accompanies the president-elect to the U.S. Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. However, in 2021, the publication writes, Trump treated Biden with disdain and did not continue the tradition of inviting the president-elect to the White House.

What else is happening in Washington before Trump's inauguration

Trump's inauguration ceremony will begin at 7:00 p.m. Kyiv time.

At 5:52 p.m., Donald Trump and Joe Biden had already arrived in the same limousine at the Capitol.

Earlier, Joe Biden confirmed that he left a letter for Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

"This is between us and Trump," Biden answered reporters' questions about the contents of the letter.

The first guests began to arrive at the Capitol, including Argentine President Javier Milley, Tesla, X, and SpaceX owner Elon Musk, billionaire Jeff Bezos, and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

About 800 people are expected to attend Trump's inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda. The ceremony was moved indoors due to severe frosts in the United States.

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