Nato chief commends Berlins decision while Ukrainian leader says Putin trying to apply military pressure on Ukraine before Trump meeting. What we know on day 1,268
Germany plans to fund a $500m package of military equipment and munitions for Ukraine sourced from the US, Nato said on Wednesday. Alliance chief Mark Rutte commended Germany for the decision, saying: This delivery will help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. Germanys foreign and defence ministries said the support was focused on equipment such as critical air defence capabilities against Russian airstrikes that were killing more and more civilians throughout Ukraine. The Netherlands and Sweden have also pledged major contributions.
Germanys move came as Donald Trump said there would be very severe consequences if Vladimir Putin did not agree to stop his war in Ukraine after the summit between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska this Friday. The US presidents comment came after a virtual meeting with European leaders including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who told the group that Putin is bluffing about seeking peace. He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front, Zelenskyy said, amid a sharp thrust from Russian forces into eastern Ukraine in recent days. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine, he said. German chancellor Friedrich Merz said the leaders had a constructive and good discussion with Trump.
Trump suggested to the group that he would push for a second summit if his meeting with Putin went well C this time including Zelenskyy , reports Patrick Wintour . If the first one goes OK, well have a quick second one, Trump told reporters in Washington. I would like to do it almost immediately, and well have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if theyd like to have me there. Trumps remarks followed what he described as a very good call with the European leaders in which he consulted about the goal and strategy for his summit. He pleased Europes leadership by giving reassurances that a ceasefire was his priority and he would not make any territorial concessions without Kyivs full involvement.
Keir Starmer said there was now a viable chance for a Ukraine ceasefire . The British prime minister said ahead of the Trump-Putin talks that Ukraines military backers C the so-called coalition of the willing C had drawn up workable military plans in case of a ceasefire but were also ready to add pressure on Russia through sanctions. For three and a bit years this conflict has been going, we havent got anywhere near ... a viable way of bringing it to a ceasefire, Starmer told the European meeting. Now we do have that chance, because of the work that the [US] president has put in.
Russia wants to include the topic of a reduction in Nato troops presence in any conversations about the future of Ukraine, the Polish prime minister said . Donald Tusk told reporters on Wednesday: That is why it is so important that we build such a strong and united group of states, both in relation to Russia but also in relation to other allies, like the United States.
Russian hackers briefly took control of a dam in Norway earlier this year, the countrys counter-intelligence agency chief said on Wednesday, the first time Oslo has officially attributed the cyberattack to its neighbour. While in command of the dam in Bremanger, western Norway, on 7 April, the hackers opened a flood gate and released 500 litres (132 gallons) of water a second for four hours before the attack was detected and stopped, authorities previously said. No one was injured. The UKs spy chief accused Russia in September last year of waging a staggeringly reckless campaign of sabotage in Europe, partly to scare European countries from helping Ukraine. Moscow denies the allegation.
北约秘书长赞扬柏林的决定，而乌克兰领导人称普京试图在会晤特朗普前对乌施加军事压力。第1268天战事最新动态
北约周三表示，德国计划出资5亿美元，为乌克兰购置来自美国的军事装备和弹药。北约秘书长马克·吕特对此决定表示赞赏，称：“这批物资将帮助乌克兰抵御俄罗斯的侵略。”德国外交部和国防部指出，此次援助重点针对“关键防空能力”等装备，以应对俄军空袭——这些袭击正导致“乌克兰全境越来越多的平民丧生”。荷兰与瑞典也承诺将提供重大支援。
德国此举正值唐纳德·特朗普表示，如果弗拉基米尔·普京未能在本周五美俄总统阿拉斯加峰会后就停止乌克兰战争达成协议，将面临"极其严重的后果"。美国总统此番言论是在与包括乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基在内的欧洲领导人举行视频会议后发表的。泽连斯基在会上表示，普京所谓寻求和平的说法"是在虚张声势"。"他正试图在阿拉斯加会晤前，沿乌克兰全线施加压力，"泽连斯基说道。近日俄军对乌克兰东部发动猛烈攻势，他补充称："俄罗斯试图证明其有能力占领整个乌克兰"。德国总理弗里德里希·默茨表示，各国领导人与特朗普进行了"富有建设性且卓有成效"的讨论。
据帕特里克·温图尔报道，特朗普向团队表示，若与普京的会晤进展顺利，他将推动举行第二次峰会——此次将包括泽连斯基。"如果第一次会晤顺利，我们将很快安排第二次，"特朗普在华盛顿对记者表示，"我希望几乎立即进行，并促成普京总统、泽连斯基总统与我本人的快速二次会晤——前提是他们希望我参与。"此番言论之前，特朗普刚与欧洲领导人进行了他称之为"非常良好"的通话，就峰会目标与战略征询意见。他通过向欧洲领导层保证停火是首要任务，且未经基辅充分参与不会做出任何领土让步，从而赢得了他们的满意。
基尔·斯塔默表示，目前乌克兰停火存在"可行"机会。这位英国首相在特朗普与普京会谈前指出，乌克兰的军事支持者——即所谓"自愿联盟"——已制定出可行的军事计划以应对停火局面，同时也准备通过制裁加大对俄罗斯施压。斯塔默在欧洲会议上表示："这场冲突已持续三年多，我们此前从未接近...达成停火的有效途径。如今由于[美国]总统的努力，我们确实获得了这一机会。"
波兰总理表示，俄罗斯希望在涉及乌克兰未来的任何对话中加入削减北约驻军的议题。唐纳德·图斯克周三对记者说：“正因如此，我们必须建立一个强大而团结的国家联盟，这不仅关乎对俄关系，也涉及与美国等其他盟友的关系。”
挪威反间谍机构负责人周三表示，今年早些时候俄罗斯黑客曾短暂控制了该国一座水坝，这是奥斯陆首次正式将网络攻击归咎于其邻国。当局此前称，4月7日黑客控制挪威西部布雷芒格水坝期间，开启泄洪闸门长达四小时，以每秒500升（132加仑）的流量放水，直至攻击被发现并制止。事件未造成人员伤亡。去年9月，英国情报部门负责人指控俄罗斯在欧洲发动"极其鲁莽的破坏行动"，部分目的是恐吓欧洲国家停止援乌。莫斯科方面对此予以否认。
