Russian parliament leader warns Germany's Merz against escalation
Moscow: The chairman of the Russian parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, on Saturday warned against an escalation of tensions between his country and Germany in a message to lawmakers in Berlin.
'The current German ruling elite is creating the conditions for an aggravation of the situation and provoking clashes between our countries,' Volodin said in the message to the leaders of Germany's main parliamentary parties.
The question is whether the German population wants a confrontation, said the head of the State Duma in Moscow.
'We don't want that. But if it comes to that, then we are ready for it,' said Volodin, citing Berlin's ever greater support for Kiev in the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
'We know that the German government is planning to set up missile production in Ukraine. This means that Germany is increasingly being drawn into military action against Russia,' said Volodin. (DPA)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
20 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
NATO allies agree on 5% defence spending target
BrusselscTypeface:> NATO allies have reached agreement on a new target for defence spending days before a major summit in The Hague, with leaders to pledge raising annual defence-related expenditure to at least 5% of gross domestic product (GDP), DPA learnt on Sunday. The Western defence alliance's members have been under pressure to significantly raise defence spending from US President Donald Trump, who complains that Canada and the European partners have been piggy-backing on the massive US defence budget. Meanwhile the threat of a potential Russian attack on NATO territory has also caused allies to reconsider their defence capabilities. As per the current target, NATO members are to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence annually, a goal that is finally set to be reached by all 32 allies for the first time this year, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Allies were scrambling to come to an agreement ahead of next week's leaders summit in The Hague on Tuesday and Wednesday, amid last minute opposition voiced by Spain, one of the NATO members lagging behind the most when it comes to defence spending. According to the agreement, at least 3.5% of national GDP is to be spent on conventional defence, DPA learnt following the conclusion of a written decision procedure. An additional 1.5% can be allocated for related expenditure, including for combating terrorism and for infrastructure that can be used for military purposes - such as investments in railway lines and the expansion of ports. NATO allies are set to agree to meet the new defence spending target by 2035 in a planned final declaration at the NATO summit, diplomats told DPA. (DPA)
Qatar Tribune
20 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Belarus releases 14 political prisoners after US envoy's visit: Media reports
dpa St Petersburg Belarus has released 14 political prisoners following a visit by US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg to Minsk, media reported on Saturday. The independent internet portal Nasha Niva said Sergei Tikhanovsky, the husband of exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was among those released. The prominent journalist, Igor Karney, was also released, according to the reports. Tikhanovskaya confirmed her husband's release, posting a video on X. 'My husband Siarhei is free! It's hard to describe the joy in my heart,' she wrote. She thanked the United States and the European Union for their efforts to secure the releases. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called Tikhanovsky's release 'fantastic news' in a post on X. He emphasized that the many other prisoners in Belarus would not be forgotten. 'Lukashenko must finally release them,' he said. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his gratitude to US President Donald Trump and Kellogg on X. 'The release shows the importance of US engagement in our region,' he wrote. 'The pressure on Belarus must continue until all political prisoners are free.' Kristersson said a Swedish citizen, Galina Krasnyanskaya, was also among those released. Kellogg met with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday to discuss a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine and bilateral relations between the United States and Belarus. In Belarus' 2020 election, Lukashenko had once again proclaimed himself the winner, triggering unprecedented protests in the country, which he suppressed with Russia's help. Many considered Tikhanovskaya to be the real winner of the ballot in the former Soviet republic. She fled into exile in neighbouring Lithuania after the election. Many Western countries have not recognized Lukashenko as the legally elected president since then. However, the 70-year-old Belarusian leader could play an important role in ending the war in Ukraine as a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kellogg is the highest-ranking US politician to visit Minsk in recent years and his visit came amid stalled negotiations between Kiev and Moscow on the Ukraine war. 'The constant concern that we have is a crisis that could escalate and grow if we are not, not only cautious, but wise,' Kellogg told Lukashenko during the meeting, shown in a video released by the state news agency BelTA. At the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow also launched attacks at its neighbour from Belarusian territory. Later, Kiev and Moscow held negotiations in Minsk, and prisoner exchanges between the warring parties have also been carried out at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. Unlike Putin, who lays claim to the whole of Ukraine, Lukashenko is interested in a quick diplomatic settlement of the war, according to political observers.
Qatar Tribune
20 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Kiev reports destruction of Russian fuel train in occupied Ukraine
KIEVcTypeface:> Ukraine's HUR military intelligence service on Sunday said it had conducted a successful operation to disrupt fuel supplies to Russian occupying forces in the south-east of the country. According to the report, a Russian military tanker train was destroyed by drones in the Zaporizhzhya region. The tank wagons were hit by drones 'one after the other as if on a bowling alley,' the HUR wrote on Telegram. Dense clouds of smoke formed over the area as around 20 tank wagons were reportedly destroyed, it said. Russian railway workers managed to bring part of the train to safety by pulling it towards the city of Melitopol using a diesel locomotive, according to the HUR. The information could not be independently verified. Meanwhile, three people have been killed in a Russian missile attack on a Ukrainian military training area, the Ukrainian armed forces said on Sunday. Another 11 people were injured in the attack, with further casualties prevented due to a timely warning by airspace surveillance, the Ukrainian army command said on Facebook. It comes just a few weeks after at least 12 recruits were killed and dozens injured in a Russian attack on a military training area in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region. (DPA)
