The question the West is whispering about: What if Putin wins?
Over SEK 1,100 billion in aid to Ukraine is stuck due to political deadlocks in Washington and Brussels. It has caused Ukraine's allies in Europe to start discussing the consequences of an outcome they previously did not want to think about: Vladimir Putin winning the war. This is reported by Bloomberg, which has interviewed several people with transparency.
The growing concern that Ukraine will fall has been reflected in several official statements recently.
- If Ukraine does not have support from the EU and the US, then Putin will win, said Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar last week.
According to Bloomberg, the EU countries' discussions are about, among other things, that a Russian victory could trigger a new wave of refugees. There is also a risk that Putin's conquest will continue. The representatives of the Baltic countries have already urged their citizens to prepare for the next war.
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The White House: There is only one Ukraine package left
The White House warns that there is only room for an additional aid package to Ukraine this year, writes AFP. After that, Congress must approve additional aid.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Washington has given Ukraine more than $43 billion in military aid, but the political winds have shifted and many Republicans have opposed the priority.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, would not say how big the final package will be.
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5,000 German soldiers to Lithuania: "Historic decision"
About 5,000 German soldiers are to be permanently stationed in Lithuania, about ten miles from the border with Russia, by 2027 at the latest. That has been clear since German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius signed what he himself described as a "historic" document in Vilnius on Monday.
- We are ready to defend NATO territory. We are sending a clear signal to anyone who can threaten peace and security in Europe, says Pistorius according to Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The soldiers will be met by "attractive conditions" in the form of German-speaking preschools, schools and accommodation, says the Minister of Defence.
According to the TV channel Tagesschau, it is the first time that the German army will have soldiers permanently stationed in another European country. The addition is welcomed with open arms in Lithuania, whose army consists of only 15,000 soldiers.
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The Russian Invasion|Ukraine's Response
The military wants to mobilize half a million Ukrainians: "Is a very sensitive issue"
The Ukrainian military has notified President Volodymyr Zelenskyi that it wants to mobilize an additional 450,000 to 500,000 people into the country's army, Reuters reports.
No decision on the "very sensitive issue" has been made, says the president at a press conference.
He further says that additional funding would be required and that no one knows how long the war with Russia will last.
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