Kadyrov shows off Tesla Cybertruck with machine gun, invites Musk to visit Chechnya! Will Germany suspend new military aid to Ukraine? Ukraine denies
2024-08-18
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According to a report by the Global Times citing the Associated Press, Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the Chechen Republic of Russia, released a video on the 17th local time, showing him driving a Tesla Cybertruck equipped with a machine gun and inviting the company's CEO, American entrepreneur Elon Musk, to visit the Chechen capital of Grozny.
▲Kadyrov stands on a Cybertruck equipped with a machine gun
In the video, he briefly drives a Cybertruck with a machine gun mounted on the roof, and then stands behind it. In a message accompanying the video, Kadyrov wrote: "We received the Tesla Cybertruck as a gift from the respected Elon Musk. I was very happy to test the new device and personally confirmed that it is not by chance that it is called the 'Cyber Beast'."
Kadyrov said he "really fell in love" with the car and said it would soon be sent to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict zone - where Russia and Ukraine are at war. "There, it will bring many benefits to our soldiers." Kadyrov then praised Musk as "the most powerful genius of our time" and a "great man" and invited him to Grozny, promising to receive him as the "dearest guest."
Tesla did not comment on Kadyrov's statement.
Will Germany stop new military aid to Ukraine?
Ukraine refutes: Inaccurate
The German government will reportedly suspend new military aid to Ukraine as part of its ruling coalition's spending cuts.
According to members of the Bundestag's Budget Committee, the current year's aid budget for Ukraine has been exhausted and the aid plan for next year has exceeded the budget, which means that the German government cannot provide new aid to Ukraine. Ingo Gadschens, a budget expert for the German Christian Democratic Union, confirmed that the German government froze its financial aid to Ukraine overnight, thereby also freezing its military support.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner conveyed the decision of German Chancellor Scholz, which has sparked heated discussions within the German federal government. It is reported that approved aid is not expected to be affected, but new funding will be affected by this measure. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner wrote to the Ministry of Defense to inform it that the national budget will no longer be used for aid to Ukraine. However, frozen Russian assets can be used to aid Ukraine.
▲On the 17th, residents of Kursk, Russia, evacuated from border settlements to safe areas. According to Visual China
Germany is Ukraine's second-largest military aid provider. A month ago, it was reported that Germany's draft budget for 2025 would halve its support for Ukraine to 4 billion euros, down from 8 billion euros in 2024.
Ukraine has refuted reports that Germany has stopped military aid to Ukraine, calling them "manipulative" (distorting facts, selectively presenting information or deliberately misleading). Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorshi Tkach said on the 17th that reports that Germany has stopped military aid to Ukraine are "inaccurate and manipulative." He stressed that the level of German support for Ukraine can only be determined after the German budget is approved in November.
Tkach noted that Germany is currently in the process of preparing its budget, which Ukraine is following closely. He explained that the German government has allocated a certain amount of aid to Ukraine in the draft budget, which is comparable to the amount planned at the same stage last year. Tkach also mentioned that this amount was increased during the parliamentary budget approval stage in the autumn last year.
Tkach said Ukraine expects the German government to find additional funds this year to support the needs of the Ukrainian military.
Russia and Ukraine secretly promote negotiations
The Kursk operation was put on hold due to the Ukrainian military
Ukraine and Russia were due to hold secret talks in Qatar this month to halt attacks on energy and power infrastructure in what would amount to a partial ceasefire, according to diplomats familiar with the negotiations. However, Ukraine's surprise attack on Russia's Kursk region put the talks on hold.
It is understood that the talks will not be direct, with Qatari diplomats meeting separately with Ukraine and Russia. Some officials attending the talks hope to use the talks to promote a broader ceasefire agreement. Russian officials postponed the talks after Ukrainian armed forces launched an attack in Kursk Oblast.
▲On the 16th, the Ukrainian army destroyed a strategically important bridge on the Kursk Sem River. According to Visual China
The diplomat said Moscow's delegation described the move as "an escalation", adding that Qatar was not informed of the attack in advance and "Kiev did not inform Doha in advance of its cross-border offensive". Ukraine said it was still ready to send a delegation to Doha, but Qatar refused, saying it did not believe "one-sided meetings are useful".
The talks could still be held via video conference, with the date likely to be set for August 22. Kiev would then consult with its allies on the topics discussed.
Some senior Ukrainian officials are reportedly skeptical about the possibility of reaching an agreement. Some believe the chance of success is only 20% or less, and even if the attack on Kursk Oblast had not occurred, the chances of successful negotiations would have been low.
Zhurova, first deputy chairwoman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma, said that Ukraine initially showed a willingness to negotiate, but this may just be a means to paralyze Russia. Rodion Miroshnik, special ambassador of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Ukraine's actions in the Kursk direction will delay the peace talks for a long time.
Red Star News reporter Deng Shuyi compiled Global News (Zhang Xiaoya) CCTV News (reporter Yu Peng), etc.
Editor: Guo Zhuang, Editor-in-Chief: Deng Feiguang
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