Can Trump bring peace to Ukraine? The situation in the morning

Good morning, dear readers,

Monday was a day of joy in the Middle East. The hostages who are still alive are back in Israel, the weapons in Israel and the Gaza Strip have fallen silent for the time being. Above all stood Donald Trump, celebrated like a saint during his visit to Israel, who praised himself extensively for the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas. The peace treaty as a big Trump show is good for the already not too small ego of the US President. Despite the completely exaggerated self-portrayal and adulation, the following applies: With the Gaza agreement, Trump achieved in just a few months in office what neither Joe Biden nor European politicians were able to do in two years.

There is still only a ceasefire, and many questions about the future in the region are still open, such as the disarmament of Hamas or who will pay for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. These are questions that Donald Trump has to stay on top of if he really wants to ensure stability in the region. At the Gaza conference in Egypt, however, the US President is already focusing on other trouble spots around the world. The president’s focus: Iran and Russia.

“I think a deal with Iran will be easy, but first we have to get Russia under control,” Trump said in Israel. In doing so, he relies primarily on a tactic that he has already successfully used with Israel and Hamas: pressure and threatening gestures. Even before departing for Israel, Trump threatened Russia to support Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles. The long-range missile can hit targets at 2,500 kilometers, deep in Russian territory.

But can this tactic also bring peace in this conflict? Vladimir Putin has shown time and again that he is unimpressed by the US President’s recurring military and economic threats. The numerous drone sightings in NATO countries not only testify to a provocation by the Russian President, they are also more or less an extended middle finger to NATO.

And so it is hardly surprising that Russia responded to Trump’s threat and also sent a threat. “The delivery of these cruise missiles could end badly for everyone. And especially for Trump itself,” wrote Dmitri Medvedev, deputy head of the National Security Council, on Telegram. When approaching, it is not possible to tell whether a Tomahawk cruise missile is equipped with nuclear weapons or not, he wrote. “How should Russia react to it? Just as!”

Despite threats, provocations and frustration, hopes are high in Europe that peace could also be achieved in the conflict. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated several times that the conflict in Ukraine is the greatest threat to Europe, including on Monday he Middle East conference in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. The German government has high hopes that the self-proclaimed “Peace President” Trump can also play a decisive role in mediating in the Ukraine conflict. The federal government has “great expectations of the American administration, because President Trump has made it clear that he is interested in working for peace agreements in various places around the world,” said Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. It should be clear to everyone involved that this time more than just Donald Trump is needed for peace in the region.

So now Potsdam too. On Sunday, another independent candidate, Noosha Aubel, won a mayoral election. Non-party people have been the trend for years, and more and more cities, municipalities and districts are run by incumbents without a party register. Party frustration is also to blame.

Some say they can arouse enthusiasm and increase voter turnout. Others warn that non-party people will strengthen anti-system attitudes and potentially further endanger democracy. The starPolitical leaders Veit Medick and Jan Rosenkranz discuss a controversial phenomenon.

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Because the statutory pension is very tight for many, now is the time to think about pension provision. So how much money do you have to invest in order to have 1,000 euros more available per month when you retire? And what should you invest in? This is what we tell you here:

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I wish you a good start to the day!