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Trump is considering new Russia sanctions in the Ukraine war
The new US president claims that millions of people died in the Russo-Ukrainian war. He is increasing the pressure on Kremlin leader Putin – and holding the Europeans responsible.
US President Donald Trump is promising further sanctions against Russia, but is also open to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Whenever Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are ready, he will meet with them, Trump said the day after his inauguration at the White House in Washington. Asked whether he would impose sanctions if Putin was unwilling to negotiate, Trump replied: “Sounds likely.”
Zelensky would like to have peace, said Trump. “But it always takes two to tango.” Before his return to the White House, the new US President announced that he would end the war, which has now lasted almost three years, as quickly as possible. Trump’s exact ideas are still unclear.
Russia, which sees itself on the road to victory militarily, only wants to accept the de facto subjugation of its neighboring country. Zelensky is hoping for help from the new US president in achieving a just end to the Russian war of aggression. The Ukrainian emphasizes that a sustainable end is more important than a quick end.
According to Trump, China could also play an important role in resolving the bloody conflict. However, he criticized that Chinese head of state Xi Jinping had not yet done much in this regard. “He has a lot of power – just like we have a lot of power.” He told Xi: “You should sort this out.”
“We have an ocean in between, don’t we?”
Trump again criticized the fact that the US was being held disproportionately financially responsible for the conflict and called for greater support from the European Union. He repeated his earlier demand that NATO partner countries should significantly increase their defense spending to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP). “It affects them more than it affects us,” Trump emphasized. “We have an ocean in between, don’t we? This little thing called an ocean.”
The new US President also commented on the high number of war deaths. He claimed that the actual losses on both sides were known but were not fully disclosed: “Many more people died than you are reporting,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I don’t blame you, maybe it’s our government that doesn’t want to publish these numbers.”
According to Trump, the war has already cost the lives of “millions of people,” including soldiers on both sides. “It’s very flat, you know, it’s beautiful farmland, really beautiful in a special way, but there’s no protection,” the Republican said. “The only thing that stops a bullet is a body.” According to Trump’s statements, Russia has lost around 800,000 soldiers, while Ukraine has suffered 600,000 to 700,000 deaths.
The extremely high number of victims in such conflicts cannot usually be independently verified. Neither Moscow nor Kiev have yet released reliable figures for their respective losses. Just over a month ago, the New York Times, citing US military and intelligence sources, reported that 57,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died so far. NATO recently estimated Russian losses at over 600,000 dead and wounded.
Zelensky thanks Germany for arms support
Meanwhile, Zelenskyj thanked Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for the German arms aid at a meeting. Ukraine appreciates Germany’s leadership in strengthening Ukrainian air defense, Zelensky said on Platform X. “Germany has made a significant contribution to saving Ukrainians and protecting thousands of lives.”
Zelensky said he discussed with Scholz at the economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, how to continue to support Ukraine and coordinate efforts for a just peace. This will help strengthen Ukrainian defenders at the front and strengthen Ukraine’s position. Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, the federal government has provided aid worth more than 37 billion euros, said Zelensky. After the USA, Germany is considered the country’s most important supporter.
In his speech at the World Economic Forum, Zelenskyj spoke out in favor of a strong security and defense policy in Europe – independent of the USA. The Europeans need to start with a common air defense that can handle ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. At the same time, he once again promoted cooperation in the production of drones and other weapons in Ukraine. His country is able to produce artillery faster and cheaper than anyone else, he said.
Leopard manufacturers and Ukrainians set up repair shop
The arms company KNDS Germany and Ukraine have founded a new joint venture to maintain and repair the Leopard 2 tanks used in the war against Russia. The company, which was founded with a Ukrainian defense company, specializes in defense equipment provided by Germany, said the Minister for Strategic Industries, Herman Smetanin, via Telegram.
Ukrainians have already completed training in armaments technology in Germany. Now the technology damaged in the war can be repaired more quickly in Ukraine, said Smetanin. The location of the plant is kept secret because it is a military target for Russian troops.
Against the background of the war, Ukraine wants to become one of the largest arms producers in the world. Russia, on the other hand, has always stated that the “demilitarization” of its neighboring country, which is striving to join NATO, is one of the main goals of the invasion.
KNDS, formerly known as Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), produces, among other things, Leopard 2 main battle tanks, which are also delivered to Ukraine. The German-French arms company KNDS, to which the German company of the same name belongs, opened a subsidiary in Ukraine last year.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
