Rheinmetall AG, Germany’s largest munitions manufacturer, said Europe’s defense industry can’t meet Ukraine’s artillery ammunition needs unless governments increase spending to double production capacity.
(Bloomberg) — Rheinmetall AG, Germany’s largest munitions manufacturer, said Europe’s defense industry can’t meet Ukraine’s artillery ammunition needs unless governments increase spending to double production capacity.
Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida and likely Republican presidential candidate, voiced misgivings over US support for Ukraine, breaking with the Biden administration.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy plan to speak by video link in what would be their first conversation since Russia’s invasion last year.
Key Developments
- DeSantis Assails US Policy in Ukraine, Breaking With Much of GOP
- Ukraine Rebuffs Russia Offer of 60-Day Grain Deal Extension
- The Arctic Is Where NATO and Russia Are Flexing Military Muscle
(All times CET)
Ukraine, Russia Offer Conflicting Signals on Grain Deal Extension (9:54 a.m.)
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry said there is no update yet on the grain deal, referring to a Monday Twitter post as its latest official position on the matter.
That followed a Tass report which cited Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin had confirmed the deal’s extension for 60 days, without providing further details.
That would only be half the length of the previous two terms of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July and extended in November. The agreement has been significantly boosted Ukraine’s crop exports and helped to lower global food prices. It’s current run is due to end March 18.
Russian Missile Hits Kramatorsk (9:12 a.m.)
One person was killed and at least three others were injured when a Russian missile hit and damaged six apartment buildings on Tuesday morning, Donetsk regional Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram.
Russian air strikes in the Donetsk region also occurred overnight, leaving two people killed, nine injured and dozens of residential buildings damaged.
Europe Must Double Shell Production for Ukraine, Rheinmetall Says (8:59 a.m.)
“I need orders. Without orders, I won’t produce anything,” Rheinmetall Chief Executive Officer Armin Papperger said in an interview. “Any shortage of ammunition won’t be the defense industry’s fault. Industry can deliver what’s needed.”
Slow progress finalizing orders means Rheinmetall will produce shells at around two-thirds capacity this year, Papperger said. That’s despite repeated warnings from Ukrainian and European officials that sufficient supply of artillery munitions will prove a decisive factor in the ongoing war.
Read More: Rheinmetall Says Europe Must Double Shell Production for Ukraine
Russia Keeps Up Attempts to Capture Bakhmut, Ukraine Says (7:59 a.m.)
Russian troops aren’t giving up attempts to capture the besieged city of Bakhmut, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Facebook.
There have been more than 100 Russian attacks along the main axes of offensive in eastern regions of the country, while Russian troops shelled dozens of villages and towns with artillery and rockets in other areas along the front line, according to the post.
DeSantis Assails US Policy in Ukraine (5:35 a.m.)
DeSantis expressed strong misgivings over US support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion, breaking not only with the Biden administration but other prominent Republicans.
DeSantis, the governor of Florida, said in a statement, which was read by Tucker Carlson on his Fox News program, that protecting the US southern border, confronting China and bolstering the American military should take priority.
“The Biden administration’s virtual ‘blank check’ funding of this conflict for ‘as long as it takes,’ without any defined objectives or accountability, distracts from our country’s most pressing challenges,” DeSantis added in the statement, which was confirmed by his spokeswoman.
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