Ukraine ticker Estonia in favor of higher NATO target for military spending +++ EU to contribute 18 billion to Ukraine loan

On February 24, 2022, Russia began its large-scale war of aggression against the whole of Ukraine in violation of international law. The front line has remained virtually unchanged since fall 2022. Almost 18 percent of Ukraine is occupied by Russian troops. An end to the war is not in sight. The developments in the ticker.

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9.48 pm

Estonia in favor of higher NATO target for military spending

Estonia's head of government Kristen Michal has called on the NATO partners to agree on a higher target for defense spending by the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague. "All allies should spend at least 2.5 percent," he said after a meeting with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in Tallinn. The previously official NATO target of each country spending at least two percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense each year "no longer corresponds to the reality of today's security situation".

The NATO states should therefore make the 2.5 percent a common goal. This would be "a signal to our opponents and our allies that our resolve should not be put to the test", emphasized Michal.

Estonia, with its 1.2 million inhabitants, borders Russia to the east. The Baltic state feels threatened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than two and a half years ago. The government in Tallinn is allocating 3.4 percent of its economic output to defense spending this year.

9.43 pm

Lindner: EU wants to contribute 18 billion to Ukraine loan

According to German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the EU wants to contribute around 18 billion euros to an international loan to Ukraine. "This week we are on the verge of a breakthrough in our support for Ukraine," said the FDP leader during a visit to New York. He was grateful that the USA was likely to contribute 20 billion dollars. "This also clears the way for support from the European Union in the order of 18 billion euros."

At issue is a loan of 50 billion US dollars, which the seven major Western industrialized nations (G7) agreed at a summit in June and which is secured by interest income from frozen Russian assets. The parties are expected to reach an agreement by the end of the week.

21:24

Selensky calls for international pressure on North Korea

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi is calling for international pressure on the leadership in Pyongyang due to possible combat operations by North Korean soldiers on Russia's side. "If North Korea can interfere in the war in Europe, then the pressure on this regime is definitely not enough," said Selenskyj in a video message. "It is clear that Pyongyang, like Moscow, does not count people and does not respect human lives." Such an expansion of the Russian war of aggression must be stopped, he said

20:01

Kremlin: Putin and Xi spoke about Ukraine and the West

According to the Kremlin, Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping spoke at length about the war in Ukraine and relations with the West at the Brics summit of emerging industrial nations. "As they are attacking both our interests and the interests of China, there were topics for exchange," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Russian television, referring to the Western states. In matters of international politics, Moscow and Beijing have similar views and approaches.

Peskov characterized the conversation between Putin and Xi Jinping as concrete, but gave only vague details about the content. With regard to the war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine, he merely said that both leaders had "devoted quite a bit of time" to the topic, without going into details.

18:38

Poland accuses Russia of sabotage and closes consulate

The Polish government has ordered the closure of one of the three Russian consulates in the country. The background to this is Moscow's hybrid warfare against Poland and its allies, which includes sabotage and arson attacks, said Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski on Tuesday. The employees of the consulate were no longer wanted in the country. Poland reserves the right to take further measures if these actions do not cease.

The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, promised a severe reaction from Russia to the closure of the consulate general in Poznan. Russia also operates consulates in Gdansk and Krakow.

Sikorski referred to the arrest of a Ukrainian citizen who had admitted to having been incited by Russian agents to carry out an arson attack in Wroclaw. The man is currently awaiting trial. Sikorski said that around 20 sabotage suspects were being investigated in Poland.

In an interview with the private television station TVN, Sikorski said that Russia was carrying out such arson attacks throughout Europe. "Putin must be deterred."

18:16

Putin: Relationship with China a stabilizing factor for the world

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described relations with China as an anchor of stability for a world marked by conflict. On the international stage, the relationship between Moscow and Beijing is "one of the most important stabilizing factors", Putin said on Tuesday as he welcomed head of state Xi Jinping at the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia. Putin promised China a further expansion of "coordination in all multilateral forums in the interests of global stability and a just world order".

Xi also referred to "tectonic upheavals" that have not been seen for centuries with regard to the previously Western-dominated world order. Against this backdrop, Chinese-Russian relations had reached an unprecedented level, Xi said.

5.42 pm

USA wants to contribute 20 billion dollars to Ukraine loan

The US government is planning to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia with a loan of around 20 billion US dollars (around 17.3 billion Swiss francs). "I would say that we will probably be able to contribute 20 billion dollars to the G7 countries' 50 billion package," said US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Specifically, this concerns a loan of 50 billion US dollars (approx. 43 billion Swiss francs), which the seven major Western industrialized nations (G7) agreed at a summit in June and which is secured by interest income from frozen Russian assets.

17:20

Zelenskyi expects NATO invitation soon after US election

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expects progress towards an invitation to join the NATO military alliance after the US elections in early November. "Not because of the change of president, but because the USA's attention is now focused on the elections," said the head of state, according to a report by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. The USA now wanted to avoid unnecessary risks and was therefore holding back with clear statements.

The Ukrainian president assumes that there is already a broad consensus regarding a NATO invitation to his country during the war with Russia. France, Great Britain and Italy would grant Kiev's request.

"With regard to Germany's reaction, the situation today depends to a large extent on the United States," said Selenskyj. A coordinated position between Washington and Berlin on the Ukraine accession issue could also convince skeptics such as Hungary and Slovakia. "We all have to work a lot with the German side," said the President. But the USA would tip the scales. The invitation would only be extended to Ukraine within its 1991 borders.

16.01 hrs

Putin wants to build Brics into a center of power

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin wants to swear the Brics alliance to stronger cooperation, particularly in the financial sector.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Moscow's aim was to use Brics to combat the dominance of the US dollar on world markets. However, Putin had previously repeatedly criticized the dominance of the US currency and announced only a few weeks ago that he wanted to establish an independent payment and clearing system within Brics.

This is particularly relevant for Moscow in light of the war of aggression against Ukraine: as a result of the war, Western industrialized nations have imposed sanctions against Russia, which have hit the country's financial sector particularly hard. For example, Russia was cut off from the international payment information service Swift and access to dollars and euros was restricted. Putin therefore repeated the proposal to settle bilateral trade in national currencies in Kazan during several talks with his foreign guests such as South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.

However, Putin also sees the Brics as a political alliance. He is striving to build a new world order without the dominance of the West. At the same time, however, he also emphasized that the Brics alliance, which now also includes Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, is not directed against anyone.

China and India, by far the two most populous countries, are part of the Brics. According to the Kremlin, this also gives the alliance moral authority, as it speaks for the majority of the world's population.

The addition of new members is intended to give the organization further weight. In total, more than 20 heads of state and government have arrived. Russia sees them as potential candidates for membership. The rapprochement of NATO member Turkey is interesting in this respect. Its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also flew to Kazan.

However, China's head of state and party leader Xi Jinping is regarded as the most important guest. China's backing is important for Putin's continued warfare in Ukraine. Like Moscow, Beijing is also interested in breaking the dominance of the West and sees the Brics as a possible instrument for this.

08.15 am

Dead after Russian drone attacks on Sumy

At least three people have been killed by Russian drone attacks in the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy. "In the morning, the enemy hit a multi-storey residential building and objects of critical infrastructure," the military administration of the region announced on Telegram. A total of 25 Russian combat drones were shot down.

Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than two and a half years. Since the Ukrainian advance into the neighboring Russian region of Kursk in August, the Sumy region has increasingly been the target of Russian attacks from the air.

5.10 a.m.

Poland demands access to secret annexes of Zelenskyi's victory plan

Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski has stated in an interview with the Polish news agency PAP that Warsaw wants to examine the secret annexes to the victory plan presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi last week. When presenting the victory plan, Zelenskyi pointed out that the full text would not be published and that only selected partners who were essential for its implementation would be given access to the secret annexes of certain sections. Bartoszewski explained that Poland was not one of the countries that had received full information about the plan. "When Germany talked about sending helmets to the Ukrainians, we sent 320 tanks. So our contribution was obviously significant," emphasized the Polish Deputy Foreign Minister. "For this reason, I can say with full conviction that we should have access to these files," he explains.

4.56 p.m.

In the shadow of war, Putin invites to Brics summit

Two and a half years after his order to attack Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin presents himself as host to allied and neutral states at the summit meeting of the so-called Brics Group. Until Thursday, 24 foreign heads of state and government are expected in Kazan, capital of the Muslim-dominated republic of Tatarstan on the Volga. The abbreviation Brics stands for the initials of the first five members of the group of emerging industrial nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The most important guest in Kazan is Chinese head of state Xi Jinping, with whom Putin will hold bilateral talks on Tuesday. According to Putin's advisor Yuri Ushakov, 36 countries are represented. Ukraine will also be a topic in the Kremlin leader's talks with guests such as UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Ushakov announced.

Putin wants to stand up to the G7 states with the Brics group. He sees the group of states as an opportunity to break the dominance of the USA in international politics and build a new multipolar world order. Following the founding members, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Iran have now also joined the group of states. NATO member Turkey wants to participate in Kazan as an interested party.

At the summit, Russia hopes to promote financial cooperation in particular. An alternative to the Western system of financial data exchange, Swift, and the establishment of a joint bank are the main aims, Putin announced before the summit. However, not all Brics members follow the Kremlin leader's anti-Western course. Countries such as India and Brazil maintain foreign policy and economic cooperation in many directions.

Hardly any of the countries represented have condemned the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Iran even supports Russia militarily, while China provides Russia with backing and access to weapons-grade technology. At the same time, Brics members China, Brazil and South Africa have each made their own proposals for an end to the fighting in Ukraine. However, none of them deviate much from the Russian position; for Kiev, the proposals are all unacceptable. The United Arab Emirates has mediated the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine several times behind the scenes.

The summit in Kazan, which has been dressed up for the occasion, is taking place under enormous security precautions. Parts of the city are cordoned off for the conference. To empty the streets during the summit, children have been sent on extended vacations and many employees are working from home.

Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 2:02 a.m.

UK announces billion-euro loan for Ukraine

The UK wants to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia with a billion-euro loan. The UK is planning a loan of the equivalent of 2.55 billion Swiss francs, which will be financed from profits from frozen Russian assets, the British news agency PA reported. The money is the British contribution to a 50 billion dollar loan package agreed by the G7 group.

The money could be used to finance air defense, artillery and other military equipment, PA reported. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves has promised Ukraine her country's unwavering support.

The seven major Western industrialized nations (G7) had agreed new financial aid for Kiev at a summit in June. The loan of 50 billion dollars is to be secured by interest income from frozen Russian assets. The G7 includes the USA, Canada, the UK, Italy, Japan, France and Germany. Representatives of the EU also take part in meetings of the G7 group.

21:51

Selenskyj calls on soldiers in Kursk to persevere

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on his soldiers to hold out on the conquered bridgehead in the Russian region of Kursk. Contrary to many reports that Russian troops are pushing the Ukrainians back there, Zelenskyi said: "We are holding our ground and I thank every soldier for their bravery."

As the President said in his evening video message, he had discussed the situation with Commander-in-Chief Olexander Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Anatoly Barhylevych. "We must not forget that the Kursk operation serves a strategic purpose. The war must return to the area from which it started. This is the case when a buffer zone is created on the territory of the aggressor," said Selensky.

With the surprising advance at the beginning of August, Ukraine had brought the ground war onto Russian territory for the first time. The Kursk operation enabled Ukraine to take prisoners and exchange them for its own soldiers from Russian captivity, said Selensky. The fighting in the Kursk region was continuing, the Ukrainian General Staff announced in its report for Monday evening.

7.27 pm

US Secretary of Defense pledges new military aid in Kiev

During a visit to Kiev, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has announced further military aid for Ukraine worth 400 million dollars. "I have traveled to Ukraine for the fourth time as Secretary of Defense to show that the United States, along with the international community, continues to stand with Ukraine," Austin wrote on Platform X.

Austin met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov in the Ukrainian capital. According to the US Department of Defense, the package includes ammunition for Himars rocket launchers, artillery ammunition and mortar shells. Additional M113 armored personnel carriers, small arms and related ammunition will also be provided.

5.35 p.m.

Moldova: EU course narrowly accepted

In a referendum in the former Soviet republic of Moldova, the population has voted by a wafer-thin majority in favor of anchoring the EU course in the constitution. According to the electoral commission, 50.46 percent of participants voted in favor of amending the constitution after all ballot papers had been counted.

3.09 p.m.

Dead in Zaporizhia after Russian missile strike

At least two people have been killed in a Russian missile attack in the south-eastern Ukrainian industrial city of Zaporizhia. At least 15 others were injured, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov.

a monday morning in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine where russians turned to dust a kindergarten. genocide is russian culture pic.twitter.com/3iN3c0hhdK

— вареничок.eristavi 🇺🇦🏳️‍🌈 (@maksymeristavi) October 21, 2024

Ballistic missiles fired by the Russian military hit a residential area. There was damage to over 30 buildings, Fedorov wrote. Infrastructure facilities were also damaged. The front line between Russian and Ukrainian troops runs just under 30 kilometers southeast of Zaporizhia.

2.08 pm

North Koreans in Putin's army "considerable escalation" for Nato

Nato is concerned about the possible involvement of North Korean troops in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. "If North Korea were to send troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine, this would represent a significant escalation," said Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte after talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

On October 18, Yeol announced that according to his country's intelligence service, North Korean troops were already in Russia. According to the information, around 1,500 soldiers were transported in Russian ships to Vladivostok, where they are presumably being prepared for deployment in the Ukraine war.

⚡️⚡️⚡️ North Korea 🇰🇵 has joined Russia 🇷🇺 & Iran’s 🇮🇷 war against Ukraine 🇺🇦 - a fact now confirmed by South Korean 🇰🇷 intelligence.

In this video, North Korean soldiers are being fitted with Russian uniforms.

👉 The West must wake up: We are at war. We must defeat this evil. pic.twitter.com/yFWDbso4JX

— Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) October 18, 2024

In total, North Korea is said to have decided to send around 12,000 soldiers for support, including special units. A spokeswoman for the Federal Foreign Office told journalists in Berlin that they have been observing ever closer cooperation between Russia and North Korea for some time and are urging North Korea to refrain from any form of support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

"It is also somewhat desperate when North Korean capabilities now have to be invoked," she added. "And that this would be a form of escalation is of course perfectly clear." Rutte had said on 18 October after a meeting of defense ministers of the alliance states in Brussels that it was not yet possible to confirm the active involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war.

12.40 pm

Update Moldova: New EU course approved

The people of the former Soviet republic of Moldova have voted by a narrow majority in a referendum to enshrine the goal of EU accession in the constitution. This was announced by the electoral authority.

12.30 p.m.

Russia demands proof of election manipulation

Russia has called on the pro-Western Moldovan President Maia Sandu to provide evidence of election manipulation from abroad, which she complains about. According to Russian news agencies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the allegations were quite serious.

"If she says that she got too few votes because of some criminal gangs, she should present the evidence," Peskov said. Rather, the preliminary results showed that many people in the former Soviet republic did not agree with Sandu's policies.

Sandu won the first round of the presidential election, according to the electoral commission in Chisinau. However, the 52-year-old will have to run in a run-off election on November 3 against former Prosecutor General Alexandru Stoianoglo from the Socialist Party of pro-Russian ex-president Igor Dodon.

Sandu had complained during the night about an unprecedented attack on the election by anti-democratic forces and stated, for example, that 300,000 votes had been bought with millions of euros by criminal groups in collusion with a foreign power. She did not give any details.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov accused Sandu's government of an unfree election campaign because the pro-Russian opposition had been deprived of opportunities for agitation. Several Russian-language media had been blocked in the country.

Despite bans and the persecution of pro-Russian forces, it had become clear that many Moldovans did not support Sandu's policies, said Peskov. "That deserves attention." The ex-Soviet republic, which is a candidate for EU membership, is traditionally torn between Russia and the West.

11.30 a.m.

Again: Oligarch falls to his death from a window

Another Russian oligarch has fallen to his death from a window: Mikhail Rogachev has fallen from the tenth floor of his Moscow apartment and died, according to the Telegraph. According to Russian media, the fall is being treated as a suicide.

BREAKING:

The Russian oligarch and former vice-president of the oil giant Yukos, Mikhail Rogachev, mysteriously died yesterday after falling out of a window of his 11th-floor apartment in Moscow. pic.twitter.com/njRcKVPu6D

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 20, 2024

The 64-year-old was once vice-president of the oil giant Yukos until it was nationalized. He then worked for the investment company Onexim Group before joining the mining company Norilsk Nickel.

Rogachev's body was apparently found by an agent of the foreign intelligence service SWR on October 19.

11.16 a.m.

Update Moldova: Wafer-thin majority in favor of EU course

In a referendum in the former Soviet republic of Moldova, after almost all votes had been counted, the people apparently voted by a wafer-thin majority in favor of anchoring the EU course in the constitution.

After 98.3 percent of the ballot papers had been counted, 50.08 percent of participants voted in favor of the amendment to the constitution, in which the pro-European course is to be irrevocably enshrined as a strategic goal, according to the electoral commission. Around 49.92 percent were against.

In view of the predictably extremely close outcome of the election, however, the final result could still differ from the count in the morning. Previously, it had long looked as if the opponents were ahead.

During the night, President Maia Sandu had complained of massive electoral fraud. She left open whether she would recognize the result. The 52-year-old came first among the eleven candidates in the presidential election held at the same time, but fell short of an absolute majority and will therefore have to go to a run-off on November 3.

10.57 a.m.

South Korea now also wants to send troops

Because Russia apparently wants to deploy North Korean soldiers in the war against Ukraine, Seoul and Kiev are spinning together on the other side, reports PimNews from South Korea.

"With Ukrainian President Zelensky showing great concern over North Korea's attempt to deploy troops, it is very likely that he has asked the South Korean government to send a military support group or specialized personnel," a source said.

According to an intelligence official, Seoul is considering "sending an appropriate number of personnel consisting of experts" to Ukraine. They are to help Kiev - for example if North Koreans are caught or desert. They are also to support the Ukrainian army in fighting these troops.

According to Kim Soo-kyung, Vice Minister for Reunification, the North Korean soldiers could be deployed in Kursk.

9.20 a.m.

South Korea summons Russian ambassador

South Korea's foreign ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador to Seoul. At the meeting, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun conveyed his regrets to diplomat Georgy Zinoviev about the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia, as reported by the Yonhap news agency.

Zinoviev made no statement to journalists present after the meeting at the Foreign Ministry. On October 18, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) accused the North Korean army of sending around 1,500 soldiers to support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

According to the NIS, the soldiers have been transported in Russian ships to Vladivostok, where they are presumably being prepared for deployment in the war in Ukraine. In total, North Korea is said to have decided to send around 12,000 soldiers for support, including special forces.

As the NIS also reported, the soldiers are to be given Russian uniforms and false identities in order to conceal their true origins. The secret service based its information on satellite images and facial recognition software, which was used in cooperation with the Ukrainian secret service.

North Korean soldiers at one of the russian military training grounds.

The head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Budanov, says that the first 2,600 North Korean troops will be sent to the Kursk region by November 1. pic.twitter.com/FmsaaAzSxb

— Serhii Sternenko ✙ (@sternenko) October 18, 2024

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke of a serious security threat "not only to our country but also to the international community".

9 a.m.

Huge corruption scandal rocks Ukraine

Following a major case of fraud and corruption in the judiciary and healthcare system, even by Ukrainian standards, Zelenskyi also announced a special meeting of the National Security and Defense Council in his video message. In the western Ukrainian region of Khmelnytskyi, authorities had launched an investigation into almost 50 public prosecutors who had allegedly bought themselves a disabled status in order to avoid going to war, for example.

When something like this happens, the country does not need external enemies, said Selenskyj. "This is really an internal enemy." He called on the secret service and the general prosecutor's office to take firm action. The scandal shook the country after an investigative journalist made the machinations public.

According to the media report, the public prosecutors probably also received disability pensions. According to the report, some had already obtained this classification before the start of the war because it made it more difficult to dismiss them and give them preferential treatment for promotions.

Zelenskyy: I am waiting for the SSU’s reaction regarding the corruption scandals in MSEC • ANTIKOR ... https://t.co/dXnFwTOrdA

— ANTIKOR (@antikorua) October 20, 2024

The scandal was triggered by the arrest of the head of the medical-social expert commission for assessing degrees of disability in the Khmelnytskyi region at the beginning of October. The woman, who sat on the regional council for Zelenskyi's party, is said to have classified thousands of Ukrainians as disabled and unfit for military service in exchange for bribes.

The equivalent of over five million euros in cash was confiscated during house searches. Millions more were discovered in accounts abroad and elsewhere. The doctor's son also managed the pension fund in the region and was therefore responsible for the payment of special pensions.

A photo showed him lying on a bed with bundles of dollars. The investigations that have been launched should not be limited to the public prosecutor's office in the Khmelnytskyi region, but should also extend to other public prosecutor's offices.

votre Ukraine ? voilà à quoi sert la vache à lait européenne, aux pourritures😡
encore un cas corruption😡
5 millions USD en espèces chez une députée régionale de Khmelnitsky en vendant de faux certificats
l'ampleur de la corruption dans ce pays n'est qu'une goutte d'eau .😡 pic.twitter.com/kV0EWsAuFA

— patrick (@patcollectors1) October 21, 2024

According to the non-governmental organization Transparency International, Ukraine, which is striving to join the EU and NATO, is one of the most corrupt countries in Europe after Russia. In the course of the Russian war of aggression, which has been going on for more than two and a half years, scandals have been uncovered time and again, not least involving the military.

Following the Russian invasion in February 2022, mobilization was ordered in Ukraine. Men of military age between 18 and 60 are only allowed to leave the country in exceptional cases. In contrast, people who have been invalided out due to a disability can leave the country just as freely as their sole guardians.

8.42 a.m.

US Secretary of Defense makes a surprise visit to Kiev

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has arrived unannounced for talks in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. "I have traveled to Ukraine for the fourth time as Secretary of Defense to show that the United States, along with the international community, continues to stand with Ukraine," Austin wrote on the X platform.

I’m back in Ukraine for the fourth time as Secretary of Defense, demonstrating that the United States, alongside the international community, continues to stand by Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/0gCwAqqEpK

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) October 21, 2024

According to media reports, talks are planned with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov on further arms deliveries, among other things. The USA is the largest military and financial supporter of the Eastern European country since the start of the Russian war of aggression in February 2022.

6.36 am

Fateful election in Moldova: Complaints of manipulation

In the presidential election in the former Soviet republic of Moldova, the pro-Western president Maia Sandu has complained of an unprecedented attack on the vote by anti-democratic forces. Criminal groups, together with a foreign power, had attempted to destabilize the situation in Moldova.

The country's leadership, which is striving to join the EU, sees Russia as the greatest threat to the republic's stability. There is evidence that 300,000 votes were bought, Sandu said during an appearance in the capital Chisinau last night. Tens of millions of euros had been spent to spread lies and propaganda.

"We are dealing with an unprecedented attack on freedom and democracy in our country," Sandu was quoted as saying by local media. She wants to wait for the final result and then make decisions.

The 52-year-old did not give any details. However, Moldovan security forces had already uncovered voter bribery and pro-Russian disinformation in the country of around 2.5 million inhabitants, which lies between Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, and the EU member state Romania, before the elections.

Sandu is running for a second term in office. After more than 90 percent of the ballot papers had been counted, she fell short of an absolute majority with around 39 percent of the votes and would therefore have to go into a run-off in two weeks' time. Her opponent will most likely be former Prosecutor General Alexandru Stoianoglo, who received around 28% of the vote and is running for the traditionally strong Socialist Party of pro-Russian former President Igor Dodon. A total of eleven candidates were running.

A referendum ran parallel to the presidential election in the country, which is an official candidate for EU membership. Sandu's aim is to have the country's EU course irrevocably enshrined in the constitution as a strategic goal.

After more than 98% of the votes had been counted, it appeared that the majority were in favor of the constitutional amendment. The opposite had been expected.

5.11 a.m.

According to Schmyhal, Ukrainian anger was due to "misunderstanding"

According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal, the anger towards Switzerland over the Sino-Brazilian peace plan was due to a "misunderstanding". He said that he did not doubt Switzerland's support on the road to peace.

In an interview with the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" on Monday, Schmyhal said that a Swiss representative had attended an event organized by Brazil and China as an observer on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The representative did not agree to the negotiation plan. "We have clarified this issue. It was a misunderstanding," said the Ukrainian Prime Minister.

There was no doubt that Switzerland supported the path to peace on the basis of the UN Charter and international law. Everyone was convinced that a compromise had to be found with Brazil, China and India for the next peace summit.

Schmyhal wanted to point out that Ukraine was grateful to Switzerland "for organizing the Bürgenstock Conference and supporting President Zelensky's peace formula." He discussed this with the President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis last Thursday. Schmyhal was in Lausanne as part of the conference on demining in Ukraine.

At the end of September, Ukraine expressed its displeasure at Switzerland's support for a peace plan presented by China and Brazil to end the Russian-Ukrainian war. "All initiatives that do not contain a clear reference to the UN Charter and do not guarantee the full restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity are unacceptable," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev wrote in a commentary.

Switzerland supports the initiative by China and Brazil because it calls for a ceasefire and a political solution to the conflict, a spokesperson for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) told the Keystone-SDA news agency.

4 a.m.

Eyewitnesses: Explosions shake Kiev

Heavy explosions have reportedly been heard again in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Eyewitnesses reported several loud detonations. The exact effects and possible damage of the attacks were initially unclear.

The reports came less than three hours after a previous Russian airstrike. Kiev's mayor Vitali Klitschko had previously called on the population to exercise caution via the short message service Telegram. "Stay in the shelters." The Ukrainian air defense was deployed to fend off the Russian attack.

2.10 a.m.

Three countries forge fighter jet coalition

In view of the war in Ukraine and the many new conflict scenarios around the world, Japan, Great Britain and Italy want to accelerate the joint development of a next-generation fighter aircraft.

The defence ministers of the three countries announced that a trilateral intergovernmental organization would be established by the end of the year to work with the manufacturers of the aircraft. The three countries agreed to jointly produce a new fighter aircraft in 2022, which should be operational by 2035. The background to this is concerns about a growing threat from Russia, North Korea and China.

Monday, October 21, 2024, 1:46 a.m.

Moldova's president deplores unprecedented election manipulation

In the presidential election in the former Soviet republic of Moldova, pro-Western President Maia Sandu has lamented an unprecedented attack on the vote by anti-democratic forces. Criminal groups, together with a foreign power, had attempted to destabilize the situation in Moldova. The country's leadership, which is striving to join the EU, sees Russia as the greatest threat to the republic's stability.

There is evidence that 300,000 votes were bought, Sandu said during an appearance in the capital Chisinau last night. Tens of millions of euros had been spent to spread lies and propaganda. "We are dealing with an unprecedented attack on freedom and democracy in our country," Sandu was quoted as saying by local media. She said she wanted to wait for the final result and then make decisions. The 52-year-old did not give any details. However, Moldovan security forces had already uncovered voter bribery and pro-Russian disinformation in the country of around 2.5 million inhabitants, which lies between Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, and the EU member state Romania, before the election.

Sandu is running for a second term in office. After more than 90 percent of the ballot papers had been counted, she fell short of an absolute majority with around 39 percent of the votes and would therefore have to go to a run-off in two weeks' time. Her opponent will most likely be former Prosecutor General Alexandru Stoianoglo, who received around 28% of the vote and is running for the traditionally strong Socialist Party of pro-Russian former President Igor Dodon. A total of eleven candidates were running.

A referendum ran parallel to the presidential election in the country, which is an official candidate for EU membership. Sandu's aim is to have the country's EU course irrevocably enshrined in the constitution as a strategic goal. After more than 92% of the votes had been counted, it appeared that the majority had spoken out against the constitutional amendment. The opposite had been expected.

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