In view of the violent Russian attacks on his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has praised the international willingness to help. "The current escalation of Russian missile and drone terror has only resulted in the world (...) responding with new aid to Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in his video address.
Zelenskyj also reported successes in pushing back Russian troops in the occupied areas in southern and eastern Ukraine. According to him, hundreds of Russians die every day in the Donetsk region in particular. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow, on the other hand, denies such high losses in its own ranks. The information provided by both sides can hardly be verified independently.
Ukraine will receive more western anti-aircraft systems
Shortly before, Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov announced that Ukraine had received additional anti-aircraft systems from the West to provide better protection against Russian missiles and drones. "Look who's here!" he wrote in the short message service Twitter to pictures that should show ground-based air defense systems of the type Nasams and Aspide from the US and Italy. "We will continue to use it to shoot down enemy targets that are attacking us," Reznikov promised. The minister thanked Norway, Spain and the US for the delivery.
Most recently, Russian missile and drone attacks had destroyed significant parts of Ukraine's electricity and water infrastructure. Since then, several million Ukrainians only have electricity for a few hours every day. Against this background, Germany already delivered the Iris-T air defense system in October.
State takes over five major wartime companies
In order to further support the war against the Russian invaders, Ukraine has also placed five important large companies under the direct control of the Ministry of Defence. Those affected include the previously partially state-owned oil producer Ukrnafta and the oil processor Ukrtatnafta, as Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal explained. The transformer manufacturer ZTR, the truck manufacturer Kraz and the aircraft engine company Motor Sich will also be expropriated. In the future, the companies will now work around the clock for the defense needs of the state.
Baerbock: Invest in Franco-German trust
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock underscored the importance of close Franco-German cooperation for Europe - both in supporting Ukraine against Russia and in the fight against climate change. "We have shown that together we are stronger than this terrible war," said the Green politician at the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly in Berlin, with a view to the EU. "We couldn't have done that without a strong Franco-German alliance."
North Korea has meanwhile denied information from the US government that the internationally largely isolated state is secretly supplying ammunition to Russia. The Defense Ministry in Pyongyang accused the US of making "hostile attempts" to damage North Korea's reputation. "We make it clear once again that we have never had an 'arms trade' with Russia," a deputy director for foreign affairs at the ministry was quoted as saying by the state media on Tuesday. It is also not planned to do so in the future.
What will be important on Tuesday
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday in the dispute over NATO's northern expansion. Turkey has so far refused to clear the way for Sweden and Finland to join NATO by ratifying the so-called accession protocols. The country justifies this with the alleged Swedish and Finnish support of the Syrian Kurdish militia YPK. Of the 30 NATO member states, 28 have already ratified the Swedish and Finnish applications to join, only Turkey and Hungary are still missing.
