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German government approves delivery of 178 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine

The German Federal government has approved the delivery of 178 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, according to German government sources cited by German outlet Der Spiegel.

The Tuesday 7 February decision concerns deliveries of Leopard 1A5 tanks from a number of countries that have pooled their industry stocks, which the German government has now approved.

patrickn97 Tue, 02/07/2023 - 17:51
The Yemeni Diaspora: its roles, realities and possibilities

In this third and final article in a series of three pieces about different aspects of the Yemeni diaspora, Hisham Almahdi discusses the realities, roles and possibilities that the global Yemeni diaspora can play in their efforts to rebuild the future of Yemen.

patrickn97 Mon, 02/06/2023 - 10:00

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Germany officially confirms export of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, approves re-export from third countries
After weeks of growing pressure from allies, Berlin has finally announced that it will send 14 of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. It has also approved the re-export of Leopard 2 tanks from third countries. Other countries have also pledged to send Ukraine Leopard 2 tanks, including Poland, Norway and Portugal. It has also been reported that Spain intends to send Ukraine the German-made tanks too. Last week, the UK announced that it would send 14 of its Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv. The announcement comes as the United States is reportedly considering arming Ukraine with its around 30 of its powerful Abrams tanks, and reports of Switzerland intending to lift its ban on supplying Kyiv with arms. The Leopard 2 first came into service in 1979, has a top speed of 68km/h (42mph), and a maximum range of around 500km (311 miles). They are specifically designed to compete with the Russian T-90 tanks, which Moscow has been using during its full-scale invasion.
patrickn97 Wed, 01/25/2023 - 11:51
Poland officially asks Germany for permission to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine
Poland has officially asked Germany for permission to send some of its German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, the Polish Defence Minister announced in a tweet on Tuesday morning (24 January). In the tweet, Mariusz Blaszczak wrote: "The Germans have already received our request for consent to the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. I also appeal to the German side to join the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks. This is our common cause because it is about the security of the whole of Europe!'' Germany has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks to either supply Ukraine with its Leopard 2 tanks, or at least approve other countries' re-export of them. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had said on Sunday (22 January) in an interview with French television that she would not "stand in the way" of Poland if it wanted to sent its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. On his part, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday morning that Berlin had yet to decide on the delivery of combat tanks to Ukraine, saying that "There is no news that I can deliver at this point. I have said that shortly a decision will be made and I can only assume that will be the case."
patrickn97 Tue, 01/24/2023 - 12:38
Opinion: Kazakhstan’s "Yurts of Invincibility" are more than just a humanitarian initiative for Ukraine

In early January 2023, amid the freezing temperatures and power blackouts of Bucha - the Kyiv suburb now infamous for it being the location of Russian massacres of Ukrainian civilians in early 2022 - there popped up a Kazakh yurt where residents were served free traditional Kazakh food and tea, could keep warm and could charge their electronic devices. Soon after, another yurt appeared in downtown Kyiv.

patrickn97 Tue, 01/24/2023 - 09:56
Ramstein summit: no decision on German tanks as countries make military aid pledges
No decision has been reached on whether Berlin will approve the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine at Ramstein Air Force base summit of global defence leaders in Germany on Friday (20 January). The BBC reports that the Polish Defence Minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, remains optimistic that efforts to supply the tanks would be successful, saying, "Defence ministers of 15 countries met on the sidelines of today's conference and we talked about this topic...I am convinced that coalition building will end in success." Both leading up to and during the summit on Friday, numerous countries had made separate pledges of military equipment to Ukraine. The Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lativa, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, the UK, Sweden, Finland, Germany and the United States are among those to have pledged further military aid to Ukraine in the past week.
patrickn97 Fri, 01/20/2023 - 17:14
European Council President Michel heads to Kyiv amid calls to send Ukraine tanks
The President of the European Council Charles Michel is in Kyiv, announcing his arrival on Twitter on Thursday morning (19 January). In a video, he said: "I am on my way to Kyiv because I will have the occasion to meet again with the President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Prime Minister, and members of parliament. And we know that the Ukrainians are resisting, and they are fighting. They are fighting for their land, they are fighting for the future, and for the future of their children. We all know they are also fighting for our common European values and principles. And also for the promise of European Union peace and prosperity. They need and deserve our support, and that is why we will discuss with President Zelensky and his team what are the measures we can develop in order to make sure they are stronger and more powerful." In a speech to the European Parliament yesterday (18 January), President Michel explicitly expressed his support for supplying Ukraine with tanks, saying: "The time is now. They urgently need more equipment and I'm personally in favour of supplying tanks to Ukraine."
patrickn97 Thu, 01/19/2023 - 11:29
Opinion: Armenia must not use the Lachin corridor for the transportation of military goods
While Azerbaijan gets most of the blame for the ongoing crisis in the “Lachin Corridor,” the international community does not see the elephant in the room: Armenia’s shipment of weapons and illegal mining operations through this corridor intended for civilian use, writes Nurlan Mustafayev in this op-ed for commonspace.eu
dennis2020 Thu, 01/19/2023 - 08:46
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Helicopter tragedy in Ukraine: Ministers and one child among the casualties after a helicopter crash
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Helicopter tragedy in Ukraine: Ministers and one child among the casualties after a helicopter crash

18 January 2023
Fourteen people have been killed, including Ukraine's interior affairs minister, after a helicopter crashed beside a nursery in an eastern suburb of the capital Kyiv. One child is among the dead. The interior minister, Denys Monastyrsky, was with eight others in the helicopter. His first deputy minister and the state secretary also died, officials said, when the helicopter came down in the suburb of Brovary. The 42-year-old interior minister was a prominent member of President Volodymy Zelensky's cabinet and played a key role in updating the public on casualties caused by Russian missile strikes since Ukraine was invaded in February 2022. National police chief Ihor Klymenko wrote on Facebook that the helicopter belonged to Ukraine's state emergency service. Monastyrsky is the highest profile Ukrainian casualty since Russia's war began, although there is no indication that the crash was anything more than an accident. The deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said the minister had been en route to a war "hot spot" when his helicopter went down.
Ex-Wagner commander flees Russia seeking asylum in Norway

A former commander of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group, Andrey Medvedev, has sought asylum in Norway after allegedly witnessing extrajudicial killings during the war in Ukraine. 

patrickn97 Tue, 01/17/2023 - 10:27
German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht resigns

The German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has resigned after months of criticism over her handling of the German response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In a resignation statement, Ms Lambrecht said: "Months of media focus on me doesn't allow for fact-based reporting and discussion about soldiers, the army and security policy in the interest of German citizens [...] The valuable work of the soldiers and many motivated people in the defence area needs to be in the foreground."

patrickn97 Mon, 01/16/2023 - 11:51
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