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The government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been accused of corruption. This may reduce Western interest in Ukraine. According to media reports, one of the country's ministers was accused of conspiring to stockpile food and sell it at high prices. Zelensky dismissed the minister accused of corruption.
An internal investigation was conducted by the Ministry of Defense in Kiev last Sunday. The investigation revealed corruption within Zelensky's administration. On behalf of Zelensky, it is said to take appropriate measures and keep the people united.
In a statement on messaging app Telegram, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal said the country's deputy minister of community, regional and infrastructure development, Vasyl Lozhynki, had been fired, news agency AFP reported. Meanwhile, Zelensky said, he accepted the resignation of another deputy minister. But he did not reveal his name.
Meanwhile, the ministry authorities have denied the allegations of corruption against the country's defense ministry. The ministry has been accused of manipulating food prices.
In the current war situation, officials have been calling on Western allies for months to supply the German-made Leopard-2 tank. But Berlin did not respond. Nor has any other NATO member state been allowed to do so.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his country would seek German permission to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine. There is a tension between Kiev's allies over sending this German-made advanced tank to Kiev. In this situation, Morawiecki said last Monday that he would give Leopard tanks from his country to Kiev. In this case, even if Germany does not agree, they will ignore the issue.
However, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalina Bierbock said last Sunday that her government will not prevent Poland from sending Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine to aid in the war.
Next month marks the anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine. Western allies are debating what and how much military aid to give to Ukraine on the first anniversary of the war. At the center of this discussion in Germany was the issue of giving the Leopard-2 specialized tank to Kiev. But Germany did not agree to it at first. Now Germany is willing to send it through a third country.
In the western and southern regions of Ukraine, the fighting between the Ukrainian forces and the Russian forces is still going on. The two sides are expected to intensify their attacks next spring. Fighting is currently raging around the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. There, Putin's mercenary forces, Wagner Group, and Russian troops are attacking the Ukrainian forces. Last Sunday, Russia claimed that its troops have strengthened their position in the Zaporizhzhya region of Ukraine.
Leopard-2 tank is one of the world's first battle tanks. This German made tank is used by the German army and the military forces of many European countries. Among the non-European countries, Canada and Indonesia use this tank. The world has seen the use of this diesel engine-powered battle tank in the conflicts of Afghanistan, Kosovo and Syria.
In response to the question of what will happen if Poland sends Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine without Germany's approval, Annalina Bierbock told France's LCI TV, "We have not been asked anything about this at the moment. But if you want to know, we won't stop you.'
Earlier, in a conference in Paris, German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz said that all decisions will be made in coordination with allies including the United States. Germany under pressure to supply Leopard-2 to Ukraine But Schultz's Social Democrats did not want conscription for traditional reasons. Apart from this, the party is also thinking about how Moscow can react.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he expects a decision on the tanks to be made soon. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for tanks during a meeting with former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is visiting Kiev, on Sunday. "We need more weapons — tanks, aircraft, long-range missiles," Zelensky said in a statement on his website.
Ukraine says that if it gets these weapons, it will be able to retake the territories occupied by Russia. After the conference in Paris, Shultz said at a press conference, "All weapons have been supplied to Ukraine so far in coordination with the Western allies." The same will be done in the future.' At the same press conference, French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not rule out the possibility of sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine. He said, this step will be taken through coordination with Germany and other allied countries.
German sources told Reuters that Germany would allow tanks to be sent if the US agreed to send its own tanks to Ukraine. But US officials said the country's President Joe Biden's administration is not ready to send its own tanks, including Mwan Abrams. A Kremlin spokesman said last Friday that Western countries sending more tanks would not improve the situation in Ukraine. Rather, it will create new problems for the people of Ukraine.
A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has banned Kiev from supplying weapons of mass destruction to Western countries. He says that if Kiev is seen as a threat to Russia by giving it weapons of mass destruction, a global catastrophe could ensue. He argued for the non-use of weapons of mass destruction. The speaker of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, Vychaslav Volodin, warned that the support of the United States and the Western military alliance NATO in Ukraine is leading the world to a terrible war.
European Union (EU) foreign ministers met on Monday to discuss more military aid for Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said they hope to provide another 540 million euros in aid to Ukraine. The ministers also discussed the issue of giving 300 billion euros of reserves seized by Ukraine to the reconstruction of Ukraine.
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