Ukraine war in the live blog: Selenskyj speaks in the Bundestag

Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt first speaks the introductory words. It commemorates the victims of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. She praised Ukraine’s struggle for democracy.

Actually, the Ukrainian should President Volodymr Zelenskyy already at 9 o’clock with his Bundestag speech start, but due to technical problems, the video switch has somewhat delayed. Here we go.

Meanwhile, according to UN information more than three million people fled Ukraine. The International Organization for Migration was concerned about the night Risk of human trafficking and sexual exploitation and abuse. CDU leader Friedrich Merz also pointed out the risks, especially for refugee women, in the ARD “Tagesthemen”. Therefore, not only the refugees have to be registered, but also the people who take them in.

US President Joe Biden announces more arms sales and military aid for Ukraine in the millions. Among other things, an aid package worth 800 million dollars (730 million euros) is included Anti-aircraft missiles, drones and thousands of anti-tank weapons included, Biden said in Washington.

Delivers despite his war against Ukraine Russia according to their own statements Gas through the neighboring country to Europe – albeit a little less than on Wednesday. According to the Interfax agency, the state-owned Gazprom company reported that 94.6 million cubic meters were to be pumped west this Thursday. The day before it was 95 million cubic meters. Gazprom had recently reported an increasing demand for natural gas and referred to cool winter weather in Europe. The company stressed that all contracts would be fulfilled. The Russian economy is heavily dependent on income from energy supplies.

At the impact of debris of an intercepted missile in a skyscraper in the east of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv According to the authorities, at least one person has been killed. Three residents were injured during the night, the rescue service said in the morning.
A video showed fire in an apartment and lots of debris in front of the multi-storey house. Residents were taken to safety. The rescue service also reported significant destruction on an upper floor. The rescue service initially gave no information about the background of the intercepted missile. According to Ukrainian sources, Russian shelling has repeatedly destroyed civilian targets in Kyiv.

Within 24 hours, the Ukrainian army is to destroy four settlements in the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Luhansk (LNR) shelled to have. This is reported by the Russian agency TASS, citing representatives of the separatists in the LNR at night. One house was destroyed and one damaged, according to the LNR representative’s telegram channel. The information cannot be independently verified.

The former Federal Foreign Minister and Green Party politician Joschka Fischer supports NATO’s position in the Ukraine war. The West must respond to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression with “determination plus caution,” the 73-year-old Green told the German Press Agency on the sidelines of the Lit.Cologne literature festival. “In this respect, I think NATO’s approach is very correct to say: not an inch of NATO territory, but we will not seek a direct military confrontation on Ukrainian soil.”

When asked whether fears of a Third World War with nuclear bombs were justified, Fischer said: “Both the American side, NATO and the EU, as well as the German government and the French government, know that caution has nothing to do with cowardice, but with that one is well advised to weigh each step carefully.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at 9:00 a.m. via video link in front of the Bundestag. He will comment on the situation in his country since the Russian war of aggression began three weeks ago. Selenskyj is also likely to make demands, for example for further arms deliveries from Germany.

The Ukrainian President had already addressed several parliaments in different countries in the past few days. He spoke before the US Congress on Wednesday. Among other things, he called for the creation of a no-fly zone over his country. Zelenskyj also showed a video of the massive destruction caused by the Russian attacks in Ukraine.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) receives in Berlin NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (Pk. around 11.30 a.m.). The meeting will deal with the consequences of the Russian attack on Ukraine. On Wednesday, the federal government launched a special fund for the Bundeswehr in the amount of 100 billion euros. Stoltenberg expressly praised this.

The NATO Secretary General will also meet in Berlin Secretary of Defense Christine Lambrecht (SPD) together (Pk. around 5.30 p.m.). She took part in a NATO council on Wednesday, at which the alliance agreed in principle on a permanent increase in troops in the east of the alliance area. Also with Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) Stoltenberg has planned a conversation (Pk. around 6.15 p.m.).

The Institute of the German economy sees significant economic consequences for Germany because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. The extent is not foreseeable. The existing problems with international supply chains would be exacerbated by new supply bottlenecks, according to a study by the German Economic Institute (IW/Cologne) available to the German Press Agency.

the end Russia important supplies of raw materials were missing. Also from the Ukraine important materials and preliminary products have been delivered so far. Palladium, nickel, neon or cable harnesses are examples of newly created bottlenecks. “If these last longer because replacements can only be mobilized to a limited extent, there is a risk of sustained production losses in the German economy.”

The study is based on the results of a survey of 1900 companies. Accordingly, around three quarters of the companies see themselves burdened by high energy prices. Well over a third are threatened in their business processes by failed deliveries of advance services or imminent bottlenecks in the energy supply.

In which apparently by the Russian army bombed theaters in Mariupol were according to new information from the local authorities more than a thousand people seeking protection. In the drama theater “more than a thousand people found shelter” before the Russian army attacked it, the Mariupol city council said in the messenger service Telegram. It was unclear how many people were injured or died.

“We will never forgive this,” the city council said in a statement. The city administration initially said that hundreds of civilians had sought protection in the theater. The entrance to the shelter was “blocked by debris.”

The Russian Defense Ministry denied the attack on the theater. As with the attacks on a maternity hospital in Mariupol last week, Moscow said the explosion was caused by the nationalist Ukrainian Azov Brigade.

The mayor of the southern Ukrainian port city besieged by Russian troops Mariupol according to private cars are now allowed out of the city. Overall, over the past two days about 6500 cars left Mariupol said Vadim Bojchenko in the night via Telegram. However, there was no ceasefire. The people are therefore drove out of town under fire.

The Ukrainian government has promised all citizens their destroyed in the war with Russia rebuild houses and apartments. Reconstruction programs are already in the works, he said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video message published during the night. Whatever the damage, Zelenskyy said he was confident in the country’s ability to quickly restore everything.

On Wednesday the agreed humanitarian corridors not working, said Zelenskyj further. The Russian troops would not have stopped the shelling. The Ukrainian side is ready to evacuate, but cannot expose people to shelling on the street. The governments in Kyiv and Moscow repeatedly blame each other for failed evacuation attempts and ceasefires that were not observed.

The one kidnapped by Russian soldiers on March 11th Mayor of the southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol is according to Ukrainian data in Exchange for nine young Russian soldiers released. In exchange for the freedom of Mayor Ivan Fedorov, Ukraine released nine Russian soldiers aged 20 and 21, said the spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Dasha Sarivna.

“These are basically children, recruits who, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, are not even in Ukraine,” the spokeswoman said of the released Russians. “But the whole world sees again that they are there.”