1. Judgment in the first Kiev war crimes trial


2. Scholz' mission in Africa


3. Selenskyj at the World Economic Forum


4. Monkeypox virus is spreading


5. CDU and Greens are probing in NRW


6. Italy commemorates Giovanni Falcone


7. This will be important this week

Rebecca Boucsein

Editor on duty at FAZ.NET.

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1. What is the verdict against the Russian tanker?

The verdict in the first Ukrainian war crimes trial is due today.

The 21-year-old accused soldier had testified that he had shot a civilian on orders.

Apologies:

prosecutors are asking for life imprisonment.

The defense pleads for acquittal because the soldier carried out an order.

The Siberian soldier apologized in court and said he was "ready to accept any measures that are imposed." It is possible that the man will be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners in Russia.

Prisoner swap:

After the fall of the port city of Mariupol, Russia is considering swapping captured fighters from Ukraine's Azov regiment for businessman and Putin confidante Viktor Medvedchuk.

The Ukrainian politician, entrepreneur and multi-millionaire was charged with treason and placed under house arrest.

With Mariupol, Russia now controls the entire coast of the Sea of ​​Azov.

In Kyiv it is assumed that the pro-Russian forces are stepping up their advance in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Meanwhile, the international Ukraine contact group from around 40 countries called by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the end of April wants to meet today in a video link.

Zoff over special assets:

In the dispute over the special assets for the Bundeswehr, SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich is now threatening the Union with going it alone at the traffic light.

If the CDU and CSU intervene in the Bundestag and thus block the necessary two-thirds majority for an amendment to the Basic Law, there are also "other ways than the military constitution," said Mützenich in an interview with the FAZ. In an emergency situation, Article 115 allows borrowing with a simple majority.

more on the subject

2. Scholz' mission in Africa

Almost six months after taking office, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is visiting Africa for the first time.

From Senegal it goes to Niger and South Africa.

The focus: energy and security policy issues - and the consequences of the Ukraine war.

Energy and security:

Scholz wants to visit Niger and South Africa by tomorrow, Tuesday.

In Niger, the Bundeswehr wants to expand its commitment after the end of the European training mission EUTM in Mali.

Scholz will meet Bundeswehr soldiers there today.

At the Tillia base, combat swimmers from the Navy train Nigerien special forces for the fight against Islamist terror in the region.

The federal government regards Niger as an anchor of stability in the Sahel zone south of the Sahara.

At the start of his trip, Scholz stopped in Senegal, West Africa.

There he said that Germany wanted to work more closely with the country on energy policy.

The debate is whether Senegal will be able to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Germany and Europe in the future.