The crisis around a Ukrainian nuclear power plant came to a head during the night. The United States and Russia have established a "hot line."
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| [Ukraine Power Plant Fire] |
On Friday night, a fire broke out near the Ukrainian nuclear power facility in Zaporizhia, causing widespread concern. According to information gathered throughout the night, no essential systems were disrupted, and no additional radiation was detected.
Russian tanks targeted reactor blocks, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine's Energy Minister, Herman Halushchenko, has requested that NATO intervene.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's "reckless conduct" "may now directly imperil the security of all of Europe," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned. He hopes to convene a special session of the United Nations Security Council on the situation at the nuclear power plant "within the next few hours." US Vice President Joe Biden has urged Russia to cease military operations in the area surrounding the nuclear power facility.
Ukrainian embassy asks for German battle tanks and submarines
The Ukrainian embassy in Berlin has requested that the German government provide additional armament systems to repel Russian assaults, such as main battle tanks, submarines, and combat planes. This is according to a so-called verbal communication from the embassy to the Chancellery, Foreign Office, and Ministry of Defense, which was obtained by the German Press Agency.
The request is being made because Putin has declared a "war of destruction" against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, in which extremely contemporary military systems, including illegal weapons such as cassette bombs with cluster munitions, are being employed.
Moscow and Washington have a military hotline
The Pentagon has established a new hotline with Russia in response to the conflict in Ukraine. The goal, according to the US Department of Defense, is to avoid miscalculations, military incidents, and escalation. The United States does not want to send soldiers to Ukraine. She is fearful, though, that the war with Russia may expand to NATO members.
Scholz urges that Schröder resign from his position in Russia
Following the SPD leadership, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) called on former Prime Minister Gerhard Schröder to resign from his positions in Russian state-owned enterprises. "My suggestion to Gerhard Schröder is to resign from these positions," Scholz stated on ZDF's "Maybrit Illner." This isn't a personal concern. Scholz also urged for a reassessment of the former chancellor's office's funding from taxpayer funds.
Russia's credit rating continues to deteriorate
Standard & Poor's (S&P) has cut Russia's credit rating further as a result of fresh Western sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict. The credit rating was reduced from "BB+" to "CCC-" due to the heightened risk of bond default, according to S&P.
The agency cut the rating to the "junk" category for risky investments last week. It has now dropped further eight notches, leaving the rating barely above the category for behemoths.
Aeroflot is being removed from booking systems by airline ticketing behemoths
The Russian airline Aeroflot has lost more significant commercial partners as a result of Russia's conflict with Ukraine. On Thursday, two of the main booking system suppliers for aeroplane tickets, Saber in the United States and Amadeus IT Group in Spain, ended their commercial connections with the airline.
Saber and Amadeus make it possible for travel agencies to compare airline prices and buy tickets for consumers both online and in-store.
The foreign ministers of the EU nations will meet again in the afternoon in Brussels for a special meeting. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, are slated to attend. It remains to be seen if Boris Johnson will be able to convene a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.