Selensky promotes peace summit in June – Night at a glance
Published: Wednesday, May 8th 2024, 05:21
Back to Live Feed
While the Ukrainian leadership is campaigning for broad support for the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland, the German government is calling on its Western partners to cooperate militarily against Russia. The summit planned for June 15 and 16 near Lucerne "can and should demonstrate the value of international cooperation", said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in his evening video address on Tuesday.
According to earlier reports, up to 80 states will be represented at the conference to discuss peace prospects for Ukraine. "While Moscow only hypocritically uses the term "multipolarity" to hide its attempts to control the lives of other nations, we are creating an instrument of genuine multipolarity," said Selensky.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who took the oath for his fifth term of office in Moscow on Tuesday, repeatedly promotes the establishment of a so-called multipolar world order instead of alleged US domination. However, critics point out that Putin, who ordered the war of aggression against Ukraine more than two years ago, is obviously not aiming for genuine multipolarity, but for the suppression of neighboring states.
Pistorius: Putin must not be allowed to get away with aggressive war
At the start of a military policy trip to the USA and Canada, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called for further joint support for Ukraine against the Russian aggressors. At his first stop on Tuesday (local time) in New York before representatives of the American Jewish Committee, which represents Jewish interests, he emphasized Germany's increased contributions to NATO. Putin must not be allowed to get away with his brutal war of aggression, he said. "It is a question of whether and how democracies defend themselves," said Pistorius. This was Europe's most important strategic question and the attack was also the greatest threat to the international order.
Belarus also practices the use of tactical nuclear weapons
Following the Russian announcement of maneuvers by its nuclear forces, its allied neighbor Belarus is also testing the operational capability of its nuclear-armed troops. Head of state Alexander Lukashenko has ordered an unannounced maneuver with soldiers and carrier weapons, said Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin in Minsk. Although Belarus is not a nuclear power itself, tactical nuclear weapons from Russia have been stationed on its territory since the end of last year.
Pentagon gives details of US soldier detained in Russia
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has released new details about the US soldier arrested in Russia. A U.S. Army spokeswoman announced that the soldier had completed his service in South Korea on April 10. Instead of returning to the United States, however, he had traveled via China to the Russian port city of Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean "for personal reasons". He had not applied for official permission from the US Department of Defense for his trip.
On Friday, the Russian Ministry of the Interior informed the US embassy in Moscow that the US soldier had been arrested the day before "for theft of personal property". He is now in custody. In most cases, the detention of US citizens in Russia leads to complicated negotiations between Moscow and Washington regarding the release or exchange of prisoners.
What will be important on Wednesday
Kremlin leader Putin is holding an anniversary summit of the Eurasian Economic Union in Moscow this Wednesday. The former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia also belong to the union, which was founded ten years ago under Russian leadership.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic