Russian invasionRussian reactions.The outside world's response

  

 

Russian invasionRussian reactions  

Kremlin: The arms deliveries from the West are a "direct interference" in the war  

 

Russia accuses the West of being "directly involved" in the war after the decisions to send tanks to Ukraine, writes AFP. 

 

The statement comes shortly after Germany and the US announced that they will supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams tanks, respectively  

 

“European capitals and Washington constantly make statements that various types of arms deliveries, including tanks, do not in any way mean that they are involved in hostilities. We do not agree with that at all," reads a statement from the Kremlin.  

 

Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on January 20, 2023. Ida Marie Odgaard / Ritzau Scanpix  

 

The Russian invasion. The outside world's response  

Canada donates four Leopard 2: "To help Ukraine defend its freedom"  

 

Canada is sending Leopard 2A4 tanks, spare parts and ammunition to Ukraine within weeks. Defense Minister Anita Anand says so on Thursday, according to Canadian media.  

 

Ukraine will also receive help with the training of Canadian experts. 

 

Like several other countries, Canada was waiting for Germany's announcement on Wednesday that countries that imported the German-made tanks may continue to export them.  

 

Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) Henrik Montgomery/TT 

 

Russian invasionSwedish reactions  

Pål Jonson: We want to help Ukraine with tanks 

 

The government wants to do what it can to ensure that Ukraine gets access to tanks, says Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) to TT. Exactly what the Swedish aid might look like is not entirely clear.  

 

- I do not rule out anything, either the possibility to send tanks or to contribute with maintenance, training or logistics, says Jonson.  

 

During Friday, Sweden will participate in a meeting with other countries that have German tanks of the Leopard model to find out how some of these can be sent to Ukraine.  

 

Volodymyr Zelensky. Mindaugas Kulbis / AP  

 

Russian invasionUkraine's response  

Analysis: Journalists can decide Ukraine's fate 

 

Recent reshuffles in Ukraine's government and state apparatus show that Volodymyr Zelenskyi takes widespread corruption in the country seriously, write Stefan Wolff and Tatyana Malyarenko in an analysis in the National Review. The Ukrainian people have had to sacrifice a lot since the Russian invasion began and it is important that the country's rulers have the people on their side, the writers believe.  

 

At the same time, they note that the reshuffle is less extensive than one might think at first glance. Many of the government representatives who were fired were only deputy ministers. 

 

The Washington Post's Adam Taylor highlights in an analysis the important role that Ukrainian journalists and anti-corruption groups have in the fight against corrupt rulers in the country. He believes that the headlines about corruption are "inconvenient for the Ukrainian government" and that the revelations could lead to outrage in the West. But stopping corruption is necessary if Ukraine is to become a member of the EU in the future. 

 

"If that happens, it will be journalists and anti-corruption fighters who decided the country's fate," he writes.  

 

Dan Peleschuk and Max Hunder at Reuters also write about possible EU membership for Ukraine. They believe that the fight against corruption in the country has become more important after the EU offered the country candidate status in June last year.