2023-06-24 15:18:00
The armed uprising of the Wagner mercenaries caused international concern. The Federal Government is observing the events “very closely”, said Foreign Minister Baerbock. She is in contact with the G7 partners.
According to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, the federal government is in “closest contact” with Germany’s partner countries because of the violent uprising by the Russian mercenary army Wagner. “We have been observing developments in Russia very closely since yesterday evening,” wrote the Green politician on Twitter. A spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office said Baerbock had discussed the situation with the G7 foreign ministers. In addition to Germany, the G7 also includes France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the USA and Great Britain.
According to information from the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Government’s crisis management team has also come together for consultations. A government spokesman said that Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also “continuously informed” regarding developments in Russia. “The situation remains quite dynamic. In this respect, we are monitoring it very closely and are also coordinating with our closest allies,” said the spokesman. A statement by the chancellor is currently not planned.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office updated its Travel Advice for Russia. The instructions now state that the affected areas and in particular the city of Rostov and the surrounding area should be avoided. “In Moscow, state, especially military, facilities should be largely bypassed. The city center should be avoided for the time being. The instructions of the Russian security authorities should be followed at all costs.” In general, the ministry advises German citizens once morest traveling to Russia.
Concern in Poland and Belarus
Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Twitter that he had held talks with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the Ministry of Defense regarding the situation in Russia. He added that Warsaw is “continuously monitoring the course of events beyond our eastern border”.
In the meantime, Putin has informed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko regarding the situation in Russia, according to a message on the official Telegram channel of the Belarusian presidency. The Russian President vowed to put down the “armed mutiny”.
The Belarusian opposition activist Svetlana Tichanovskaya called for vigilance on Twitter. It is important “to support Ukraine in defeating Russian aggression.” Current events showed the weakness of the dictatorship. “There is no loyalty among criminals who maintain their power out of fear. Their reign of terror might collapse at any moment.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also sees the armed uprising as a sign of Russia’s weakness. “Russia’s weakness is obvious. Weakness in full,” Zelenskyy wrote on the social media platform Telegram. “And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries in our country, the more chaos, pain and problems it will have later on itself.”
US in close coordination with allies
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter that they are in close consultation with their own allies and partners. He has already spoken to the G7 foreign ministers and the EU foreign policy representative.
The British Foreign Office warned of the risk of unrest across Russia. “There are reports of military tensions in the Rostov region and the risk of further unrest across the country,” he said ministry. It called for people to leave Russia if their stay is not absolutely necessary. At the same time, the authority warned of a lack of flight connections in order to be able to return to Great Britain.
France said President Emmanuel Macron is following the situation in Russia closely. The office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said events showed that the attack on Ukraine was causing instability in Russia.
Latvia and Estonia tighten border security
Latvia tightened security at its borders. The government is closely following the situation in Russia, President-elect Edgars Rinkevics said on Twitter. “Border security has been strengthened,” continued Rinkevics, who is also currently Latvia’s foreign minister.
In addition, the issuance of “humanitarian or other types of visas” and the entry of Russians from Russia are suspended. Latvia stopped issuing new visas to Russian citizens last year, but so far the government has made exceptions for humanitarian visas. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas also said in neighboring Estonia that border security had been strengthened. She urged her compatriots not to travel to Russia.
1687625043
#Great #concern #warnings #instability
