EU condemns IOC efforts on Russia and Belarus

International

Almost a year after the start of the Russian war in the Ukraine the battles continue – and are particularly fierce at the moment. Heavy and extremely bloody fighting is continuing, especially around the city of Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk. Both sides report high losses.

Shortly before the first anniversary of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted on speeding up military aid for his attacked country.

In our news blog you will find out everything you need to know about the latest developments in the war in Ukraine.

19th of February

08:36: EU condemns efforts by the IOC to Russia and Belarus

The European Union (EU) has condemned the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for exploring ways for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris to participate. A corresponding resolution was adopted with 444 votes in favour, 26 against and 37 abstentions. This is reported by the industry service insidethegames.biz. The application stated that participation by activists from the two countries, whether neutral or not, “runs counter to the multifaceted isolation of these countries and is used by both regimes for propaganda purposes”. The resolution marks the upcoming one-year anniversary of the war that began with the invasion of Russia on February 24, 2022.

The EU and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have rebuffed the IOC. Image: www.imago-images.de / imago images

During his trip to Germany at the end of January, President Thomas Bach defended the IOC plans, arguing with the human rights requirements of the Olympic Charter and the United Nations. Excluding athletes “because of their passport” violates the principles. Bach relied on an “overwhelming majority” that he identified in the Olympic movement after “consultation talks”. At the end of February 2022, the IOC recommended that international federations take athletes out Russia and ban Belarus from competitions.

08:13: “The Observer”: Many scenarios for the end of the Ukraine war

The British Sunday newspaper “The Observer” comments on the course of the war in Ukraine: “Dark clouds are hanging over this battle Life and Death, now in its second year. The Western weapons continue to arrive slowly. There are still no fighter planes. At the same time, political tensions are increasing. Although US President Joe Biden, who will mark the anniversary of the war in Warsaw on Tuesday, has provided the lion’s share of arms and aid to Ukraine, both he and NATO have been too cautious in confronting Russia. (…) Despite the intense pressure from Eastern Europe, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is sticking to his cautious stance. Most Germans are now in favor of peace talks, even if they involve territorial concessions.

“The Observer” comments, among other things, on Scholz’s cautious attitude towards arms deliveries.Image: dpa / Peter Kneffel

The broader debate revolves around how this war will end. There is still no agreement on this. Future scenarios include a Ukrainian victory and/or 1917-style Russia collapse, a total defeat for Ukraine, an escalation leading to a direct NATO-Russia conflict in Europe, a country-wide escalation of the war, or a frozen one Conflict – effectively a stalemate – similar to the situation after Russia invaded Crimea and Donbass in 2014.”

8 a.m.: Federal agency: Ukraine refugees relieve the labor market massively

Around a year after the start of the war against Ukraine, the Federal Agency for Work from a significant relief for the German labor market by refugees from the country. Since the beginning of the war, around 65,000 more Ukrainians have been employed in jobs subject to social insurance than before the fighting began, said Daniel Terzenbach, board member of the federal agency, to the German Press Agency in Nuremberg.

In addition, there are 21,000 Ukrainians in mini-jobs. They all deceive to combat the lack of personnel in the German Business at. “The German job market is receptive,” said Terzenbach. He expects that the number of employees from Ukraine will increase significantly in the coming weeks and months – then when the Women and Men have completed the integration and professional language courses of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

You can find older news about the war in Ukraine here.

(with material from dpa/AFP)