FAZ early thinkers: Do Finland and Sweden want to join NATO?

1. Steinmeier's visit to the Ukraine "not wanted"

2. Poison gas attack in Mariupol?

3. Price increases are the biggest concern of Germans

1. Steinmeier's visit to the Ukraine "not desired"

Patrick Schlereth

Editor on duty at FAZ.NET.

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Because the Federal President has campaigned for the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, Ukraine rejects his visit.

Vladimir Putin sees himself fighting the United States.

Trouble:

In the Ukraine, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) is resented for supporting the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 until shortly before the war.

The anger is so great that the Ukrainian leadership has refused a visit by the Federal President to Kyiv.

“Not desired”:

In the past few days, Polish President Andrzej Duda had suggested that they travel to the Ukrainian capital together with the heads of state of the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, “to send a strong sign of common European solidarity with Ukraine to send and set,” said Steinmeier on Tuesday.

"I was ready for it.

But obviously – and I have to acknowledge that – that was not wanted in Kyiv.” According to the Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine has meanwhile invited Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Confident of victory:

Shortly before the expected large-scale offensive in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared confident of victory and made accusations against the West.

In Ukraine, the point is that "the United States is ready to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian," Putin said alongside Belarusian ruler Alexandr Lukashenko at the Vostochnyj cosmodrome in the eastern Amur region.

His "military operation" in Ukraine is "going according to plan" and will be continued.

more on the subject

2. Poison gas attack in Mariupol?

The allegations weigh heavily: is Russia trying to break the resistance of the Ukrainians in Mariupol with chemical weapons?

Finland and Sweden talk about possible NATO membership applications.

Serious allegations:

Has Russia used poison gas in the embattled Ukrainian port of Mariupol?

Ukrainian authorities have not yet been able to confirm the allegations made by the Azov regiment.

The Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister said on television: "There is a theory that it could be phosphorus ammunition." Final conclusions could only be made later.

Eduard Bassurin, one of the military leaders of the "Donetsk People's Republic", has denied the use of chemical weapons.

Before that, however, he also unequivocally threatened to "smoke out the Ukrainians like moles".

NATO candidate:

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin is visiting Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in Stockholm today.

The politicians are expected to talk about their countries' defense cooperation and possible NATO membership applications.

So far, the two countries are close partners of the alliance - but not members.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said last week: "If they decide to apply, I expect all allies to welcome them."