German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Nov. 6, that he had dismissed Finance minister Christian Lindner.
The decision to fire Lindner due to economic disagreements is likely to lead to a snap election for the country in the near future, as Scholz’s Social Democratic Party will not have enough votes to pass the budget for next year.
Scholz partially justified his decision in a statement he issued following the dismissal. He noted that he had asked Lindner, who was responsible for the spending rules, to relax them to allow more aid to Ukraine. Lindner refused.
Scholz said that Lindner had blocked laws inappropriately too many times. “Too many times he has used petty, party-political tactics.” “Too often, he has violated my trust.”
German media reported that Lindner’s policy paper proposed significant changes to the economic policy of the country, including reducing regulations regarding climate policy in order to stimulate economic growth and proposing tax reductions — in stark contrast to Scholz.
The rise of the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD), a party known for its amicable views towards the Kremlin, may spell trouble for Kyiv.
Berlin has allocated 8.2 billion euros (7.6 billion euros) to Kyiv’s budget for 2024 under the current ruling coalition.
Scholz said previously in June that voters’ opposition to SDP’s support for Ukraine is a part of the reason behind the declining popularity of the party.
The SPD suffered a crushing loss in the European Parliament elections earlier in June. It came in third behind the center-right Conservative Christian Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), and the far-right AfD.
Scholz stated that the results of the election show that many voters are not in agreement with the government’s support for Ukraine or sanctions against Russia.
Scholz said that a vote of confidence will be held on January 15, potentially setting up an early March election.
Politico reported that Lindner, who is a member of FDP, has seen polls repeatedly indicating that the FDP would not reach the five percent threshold needed to enter the German parliament at the next election. The collapse of the coalition offers the FDP an opportunity to break with the government on several key issues.
Germany, which was initially criticized for its slow delivery of military equipment to Ukraine after the full-scale invasion began, has now become the second largest provider of military hardware behind the U.S.
Scholz announced in October that Germany had provided a package worth 600 million Euros ($660 million) of aid to Ukraine. This included a fifth IRIS T medium-range air defence system, armored vehicle, tanks, howitzers and ammunition.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president, said: “On defense, economy, and the future after war, we have the potential to strengthen our cooperation.” “This will make Ukraine, America and the free world more successful.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean that we are celebrating what Vladimir Putin did, or are excited about him. But I think there needs to be some commonsense here.” Rubio said that we are funding a stalemate which is costing lives. “Ukraine will take 100 years to rebuild, with all the challenges they face.”
As Donald Trump wins the U.S. Presidential election, Ukrainians prepare themselves for what this means for their nation.
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, said: “We will discuss the security challenges in Europe as well as opportunities for all partners.”
“This is not the final defeat. It is only a battle lost,” pro-Russian newcomer political Alexandr Stoianoglo stated three days after voting.
Denyslysenko, the head of the department that focuses on war crimes, stated that 49 criminal investigations are underway regarding the executions of Ukrainian POWs.
Trump has repeatedly stated that he could end the war with Russia “in 24 hours.” What is his plan for the future?
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated that “Trump has a quality which is useful to us. As a businessman at heart, he hates to spend money on freeloaders and idiotic allies. He also dislikes charity projects and greedy international organisations.”
The Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported that on November 5, four unnamed sources in importing companies said that the Chinese state-owned Sinosure, which insures export supplies for non-payment, has started to refuse to work with Russian entrepreneurs.
According to EXPRO calculations, gross natural-gas production increased by 2.3% in October 2020 compared to the same period last year, reaching 1.66 billion cubic meters, which is the highest level since January 2022.
“The winds are blowing stronger than ever.” “Poland’s leadership will rise up to the occasion,” Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters, calling on European countries to increase defense spending.
“We have said repeatedly that the United States of America could help end the conflict with Ukraine. This cannot be achieved overnight, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated.
“They said that he would start a conflict. I am not going to start any wars, I will stop them,” said Donald Trump in a speech where he claimed victory over the 2024 presidential election.
Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian Prime Minister, said on X: “I am confident President Trump’s leadership is going to promote peace globally as well as in our region and ensure restart in U.S.Georgia Relations.”
Overnight, Russia launched 63 Shaheds drones and two Kh-59/Kh-31P guided missiles. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 38 drones were shot by the air defenses of Ukraine over nine regions, while 22 were “lost”.
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