NATO-Ukraine Council occurred in new format and Germany's new military aid package to Ukraine - Wednesday brief
Collage by RBC-Ukraine
Germany has delivered a new military assistance package to Ukraine, including projectiles, drones, and armored personnel vehicles. Meanwhile, the NATO-Ukraine Council was held for the first time at the level of the armed forces' chiefs of staff.
For more details on what happened on Wednesday, January 17, read RBC-Ukraine's material.
Ukraine-NATO Council first meets at level of Chiefs of Staff
Yesterday, the first meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council in a military format at the level of Chiefs of General Staff took place, according to the Ukrainian Mission to NATO on Facebook.
Serhii Salkutsan, the military representative, spoke on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, before the allies.
He provided information on the current situation on the battlefield, emphasized the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and called for an increase in arms supplies, including air defense systems and missile complexes.
Drones, APVs and tank shells: Germany sends new military equipment to Ukraine
Germany has delivered a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, including projectiles, drones, and armored personnel vehicles, according to the German government.
The new military package includes:
- Ammunition for Leopard 1A5 tanks
- 25 reconnaissance drones RQ-35 Heidrun
- 8 armored transporters
- 16 fuel trucks Mercedes-Benz Zetros
- 5 vehicles for border guards
- 3 civilian cars
- 50 SatCom communication terminals
- 500 LED lamps
- Equipment for neutralizing explosive ordnance
- Nearly 2,000 M92 combat helmets
The German government also said that the new aid package includes 20 infantry fighting vehicles Marder and 15 self-propelled anti-aircraft systems Gepard.
We finalizing work on agreement: Macron on security guarantees for Ukraine
France plans to sign a security agreement with Ukraine, similar to what the United Kingdom has done. Work on the document is already being finalized, according to the speech of French President Emmanuel Macron at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
According to the President of France, there is strong coordination between Ukraine and NATO countries. Therefore, the idea was proposed to sign bilateral agreements with some key members of the Alliance, ensuring security without the need for NATO membership.
"Prime Minister Sunak (UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - Ed.) already made a trip a few days ago and signed such an agreement. We are finalizing work on a similar agreement with Ukraine," adds Macron.
Bundestag declines to support call for Taurus transfer to Ukraine
In Germany, the Bundestag did not support the resolution proposed by the opposition party CDU (Christian Democratic Union) calling for the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, according to the press service of the German parliament and Spiegel.
During the roll-call vote, the CDU initiative was rejected with 485 votes against, 178 in favor, and three abstentions. According to Spiegel, the resolution was not supported by deputies from the German Greens and the Free Democratic Party, despite their calls for providing Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
Even if the German parliament supports the idea of supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine, it does not automatically mean the provision of such assistance. The transfer of weapons requires a decision from the German government.
Head of European Commission announces start of Ukraine's legislation screening
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced the initiation of the screening of Ukraine's legislation, along with the unveiling of a negotiation framework for Ukraine's membership in the EU, citing Ursula von der Leyen's statement in the European Parliament.
The head of the European Commission emphasized that this pertains to the expansion of the European Union to include 35 member countries.
She added that the EU has agreed to begin negotiations with Moldova, while Georgia has been granted candidate status for membership. Von der Leyen also underscored that Western Balkan countries are part of the European community.
Russia seeks military instructors from Crimea for African deployments, Ukrainian Intelligence reports
Russia is forming units of so-called military instructors for further deployment in African countries. The Kremlin aims to expand its influence in the region, according to the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
"Persistent recruitment efforts are being conducted by Moscow, even in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, particularly in the temporarily occupied Crimea," the statement reads.
It is noted that contracts are offered to sign for reserve military personnel of the occupation army of the Russian Federation—specialists in servicing Russian-made air defense systems, military sailors, and some other specialists in the military-technical sphere.
Iran cynically denies drone transfer to Russia, claims technology could be copied
Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, denied that Iran supplied any drones or missiles to the Russian Federation that were used against Ukraine, reports The Guardian.
The Iranian Foreign Minister claimed that their technologies could have been copied by other countries.
He also noted that Iran repeatedly asked Russia whether it used Iranian-produced weapons against Ukraine, and Russia responded negatively.
It is worth noting that last month, Russia received another batch of Iranian kamikaze drones. In total, the aggressor country acquired 250 Shahed drones from Iran.
