After the arms deliveries from Germany, too, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj spoke of recapturing areas in the fight against the Russian attack.
"Ukrainian flags are returning to where they should rightly be. And there is no place for the occupiers in our country," said Zelenskyy in Kyiv. According to the Presidential Office, Ukrainian forces liberated the village of Vysokopillya in the northern part of the Kherson Oblast from Russian occupation. Monday is day 194 in the war.
According to media reports, Ukrainian troops had also recaptured the village of Oserne in the Donetsk region. This information could not be verified independently. In a video, Zelenskyj also reiterated the goal of recapturing the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. "I believe that the Ukrainian flag and free life will return to Crimea. We will liberate our entire earth, all our people," said Zelenskyy.
Russia incorporated Crimea into its territory in 2014. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin justified the attack on Ukraine on February 24 by saying that he saw indications of attempts by the Ukrainian leadership to take back Crimea using military force. Russia had always emphasized that it would not allow this under any circumstances.
Recently there had been massive explosions with devastating destruction and incidents with drones in Crimea. The already extreme security measures on the peninsula were then reinforced again. "The Russian presence has made Crimea one of the most dangerous and unfree places in Europe," Zelensky said.
Schmyhal talks to Scholz about battle tanks
At a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in Berlin, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal said he made concrete proposals for the delivery of Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Kyiv. "We talked about the topic. We even suggested how Germany could supply Ukraine with these tanks," Schmyhal told journalists on Sunday after his meeting with Scholz in the Chancellery.
Germany has already delivered the Panzerhaubitze 2000, the MARS-II multiple rocket launcher and other weapons to Ukraine. Schmyhal said he spoke to Scholz about expanding deliveries. He gave no details. "Of course we started discussions on new types of weapons." The talks should continue.
"I would like to emphasize that every German politician understands that today there is a war in Ukraine and a hybrid war in the territory of the European Union," Schmyhal said. Russia is also waging this war in the energy sector - with gas, oil and electricity - with disinformation and cyber attacks. He felt that Germany was "absolutely ready to live through this heating season, to live through the difficulties," he said. "And I am convinced that Russia will suffer corresponding losses after this heating season."
Schmyhal expressed the hope that Ukraine will also get through the winter in a stable manner. "In fact, today we have about 13 billion cubic meters of gas in our storage facilities. Today we have more than two million tons of coal. This gives us hope for a stable transition through this difficult heating season." Nevertheless, it will be difficult because of the military risks.
Selenskyj calls for EU entry bans for Russians again
In a video recorded after a conversation with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, President Zelenskyj also reiterated his calls for entry bans for Russians. There must be restrictions on visas for those who support terrorism against Ukraine and seek fun and entertainment in Europe, he stressed.
"Europe is a country of values and not a Disneyland for supporters of terror." At the end of August, the EU announced that it would only completely suspend an agreement concluded with Russia to facilitate the issuing of visas for travellers. Travel is still possible.
What is important today
Under the impression of the war in Ukraine and the high prices on the energy market, around 20 oil-producing countries, including Russia, are discussing their production quotas as part of the OPEC alliance from October. Many market watchers expect the group to stick to its previous production targets in Monday's online session. However, Saudi Arabia, one of the dominant members, had recently floated a possible production cut.
At the end of the last trading week, oil prices had risen again after several days with discounts. Previously, crude oil had come under pressure. Factors behind the downtrend included concerns about the global economy, many central banks fighting inflation and the strong dollar making the US-denominated commodity more expensive for many market participants. However, because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the price level is still significantly higher than before the conflict.
