Germany should stop sending weapons to Ukraine - public figures

Further military aid to Ukraine would only lead to an uncontrollable escalation of hostilities and prolong the suffering of the people caught up in the fighting, a group of German politicians and public figures have warned Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an open letter. By providing arms to Kiev, Germany and other NATO nations "have de facto made themselves a war party," the letter published by the Berliner Zeitung on Friday, has said.

The co-authors of the letter, which include the ex-vice president of the Bundestag, Antje Vollmer, and a former UN assistant secretary general, Hans-Christof Graf von Sponeck, have said that Ukraine has "become the battlefield for the conflict between NATO and Russia over the security order in Europe," which is now waged "at the expense of the Ukrainian people."

If the conflict is not stopped quickly, it will end up in "another big war" similar to Word War I, the letter warns, adding that this time nuclear weapons might be used, bringing "widespread devastation and the end of human civilization." Avoiding further destruction and escalation should be an "absolute priority," it adds.

With food shortages and soaring infaltion, that ball is already rolling; although it's unlikely nukes will be used and instead the establishment in the West instead will every hybrid warfare tactic it has at its disposal.

© AP / US Air Force / Mauricio CampinoFILE PHOTO: A batch of US military supplies bound for Ukraine.

The co-authors, who also include a former German MP, Norman Paech, as well as an ex-director of the Center for Conflict Research in Marburg, Johannes Becker, maintain that NATO's military support only delays a diplomatic solution, fueling the resistance of the Ukrainian army that "has little chance of winning." Instead, steps to end the bloodshed must be taken, they argue.

It's clear that the West provoked this conflict intentionally and will do just about anything to prevent a peaceful resolution: US planning (another) false flag in Ukraine, intends to frame Russia for NUKE attack - Moscow

The first such step should a stop to all arms deliveries, the co-authors suggest, adding that Berlin should instead convince Kiev to "end its military resistance" and opt for a political solution instead. A neutral status for Ukraine, as well as recognition of Crimea as part of Russian territory and Kiev's consent to referendums in the Donbass republics, could be a "real chance" for reaching an agreement, they say.

Talks about the withdrawal of Russian troops and the "restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity" should be accompanied by NATO proposals on new security arrangements in the region that would take into account the "legitimate security interests of Russia and its neighboring countries," the letter says.

The co-authors, comprising 18 politicians and public figures in total, also suggest declaring several Ukrainian cities, including Kiev, Kharkov and Odessa, to be "open cities" - meaning locations that agree to abandon all defensive efforts in exchange for assurances that no fighting will take place in their premises. That would help them avoid destruction and civilian casualties, those behind the open letter argue.

The prevailing logic of war must be replaced by a courageous logic of peace and a new European and global peace architecture must be created that includes Russia and China. Our country must not stand on the sidelines here, but must play an active role.

Russia attacked its neighboring state in late February, following Ukraine's failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, first signed in 2014, and Moscow's eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The German- and French-brokered protocols were designed to give the breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.

The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.

EU companies may be able to work around Russia's demand to receive gas payments in rubles without breaching sanctions, if they pay in euros or dollars which are then converted into the Russian currency, the European Commission (EC) said on Friday.

In an advisory document sent to member states on Thursday, the Commission reportedly said that Moscow's gas-for-rubles proposal does not necessarily prevent a payment process that would comply with EU sanctions against Russia.

The document said there were options that could allow companies to continue lawfully paying for gas.

"EU companies can ask their Russian counterparts to fulfill their contractual obligations in the same manner as before the adoption of the decree, i.e. by depositing the due amount in euros or dollars."

The procedure for securing exemptions from the requirements of the decree is not yet clear, it added.

The plan is identical to what the Russian government had suggested earlier this month.

Brussels also said that, before making payments, EU operators could make a clear statement that they consider their contractual obligations to be completed when they deposit euros or dollars with Gazprombank - as opposed to later, after the payment is converted into rubles.

According to the document, the sanctions regime does not prohibit companies from opening accounts with Gazprombank, or from engaging with the bank to attempt to seek a solution.

The United Kingdom has granted a license for continued payments to Russia's Gazprombank for more than a month.

London's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) issued the sanctions waiver on Thursday for "the purpose of making gas available for use in the European Union," noting that the license expires on May 31.

It applies to contracts agreed prior to Thursday with Gazprombank and its subsidiaries, and it allows for "the opening and closing of bank accounts" so long as it helps to secure the flow of gas into the EU.

Following a flurry of other financial penalties in the wake of Moscow's attack on Ukraine, the UK government imposed sanctions on Gazprombank late last month, also targeting other major financial firms such as Alfa Bank. In announcing the latest waiver, however, the Treasury cited a 2019 law which allows exemptions for penalties on Russia under certain circumstances.

Despite the push to penalize Russia, a number of European countries are reluctant to support calls for outright embargoes on gas, oil and coal.

Gazprombank is among the largest banks in Russia by assets held, largely working in the corporate and investment sectors. The United States and a series of allies slapped penalties on the bank in February, imposing debt and equity restrictions after Russia attacked Ukraine, part of a coordinated effort to "isolate" and "cripple" Russia's economy.

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