The Russian invasion. The outside world's response

Biden together with Olaf Scholz, archive photo. Susan Walsh/AP  

 

The Russian invasion. The outside world's response 

Sources: Germany stalls on delivery of tanks - annoys White House  

 

The Pentagon does not want to send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, and German efforts to convince the United States have led to irritation within President Joe Biden's staff, sources told NBC.  

 

According to NBC, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has signaled that Germany may supply the German-made Leopard 2, but only if the US simultaneously promises to send the M1 Abrams. The sources state that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin believes that the M1 Abrams is not suitable for Ukraine and that they require extensive training.  

 

The same sources state that Biden has no intention of pressuring Germany to send the Leopard 2. Several European countries have a stated ambition to send their Leopard 2 tanks, but this requires German approval.  

 

Leopard 2. Michael Sohn / AP  

 

The Russian invasion. The outside world's response 

The Baltic states' appeal to Germany: Leopard 2 now  

 

The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania jointly take to Twitter with a message to Germany to immediately send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. 

 

"It is needed to stop Russian aggression, help Ukraine and quickly restore peace in Europe. As the leading European power, Germany has a special responsibility in this regard," they write.  

 

Olaf Scholz speaks next to a Leopard 2 tank. Moritz Frankenberg / AP  

 

The Russian invasion. The outside world's response  

Poland: Germany's hesitation costs Ukrainian lives  

 

Hopes were high ahead of yesterday's meeting at the German air base Ramstein - but were dashed when Germany postponed a decision on whether to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.  

 

The announcement was met with widespread frustration, but Ukraine is not giving up trying to get the much-coveted tank. 

 

- We had frank discussions about Leopard 2. Continuation follows, said Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov according to The Guardian. 

 

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau accuses Germany of indirectly spying on the Ukrainian death toll. 

 

"Ukrainian blood is being spilled for real. That's the price of hesitation around Leopard deliveries. We need action now," he writes on Twitter.

The presidential couple/Coffin of the Minister of the Interior. AP  

 

The Russian invasion The helicopter crash  

Zelenskyi in tears when the victims of the crash were buried  

 

On Saturday, a funeral ceremony was held for the victims of Wednesday's helicopter crash outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, when 14 people died.  

 

Among the dead were Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyj and two of his closest colleagues at the ministry.  

 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was present with his wife Olena and was moved to tears during the ceremony, writes the Norwegian Dagbladet.  

 

The cause of the crash is still unknown. Zelenskyj has previously stated that the police are investigating several different theories. 

 

Ukrainian soldiers in Zaporizhzhya. Evgeniy Maloletka / AP  

 

The Russian InvasionThe Battles  

Russia: Has launched new offensive in Zaporizhzhya  

 

The Russian army says on Saturday that it has launched a new offensive in the region of Zaporizhzhya in southern Ukraine, reports AFP. 

 

The army claims to have taken "more advantageous positions" in the fighting. The data has not been confirmed by Ukrainian or independent sources.  

 

On Saturday, Britain's Ministry of Defense wrote that the frontline battles in Ukraine have basically stalled.  

 

According to the British, both sides have a large number of soldiers along the front in Zaporizhzhya, but in recent days there has been mostly exchange of artillery fire without any major clashes.  

 

Ukrainian soldiers last February. Evgeniy Maloletka / AP  

 

The Russian InvasionThe Battles  

The Trench Dilemma: Keeping warm without being detected 

 

Ukrainian soldiers at the front are forced to find solutions to keep warm without revealing their positions. Despite large deliveries of clothing from the West, the winter cold is causing problems, writes the Wall Street Journal. 

 

While maintaining body heat is important to keep combat morale up, soldiers run the risk of being exposed to enemies who can detect them using thermal imaging cameras. Even wood fires can pose problems as the smoke can easily reveal them. 

 

In the trenches around the contested town of Bachmut, the soldiers rely to some extent on special candles made from empty cans packed with cardboard. 

 

- If you light it an hour or two before you go to bed, it warms you better than you might think, says soldier Kyrylo Moltjanov.