Latest news with #Wagenknecht
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
German pro-Russian politician demands referendum on Taurus supply to Ukraine
Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the far-left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, is calling for a referendum in Germany on the federal government's policy amid debates over further arms deliveries to Ukraine without range restrictions. Source: European Pravda, citing n-tv Quote: "The chancellor's U-turn on arms is completely irresponsible. If German weapons – possibly Taurus missiles in the future – strike Russian cities, it will be tantamount to a declaration of war on Moscow." Details: She expressed suspicion that the German government might have supplied cruise missiles to Ukraine. "First, the federal government makes arms deliveries secret, and then it lifts restrictions on range – this only makes sense if it seriously wants to deliver Taurus missiles or has already done so," she said. "This treatment of the German population, which will have to bear the consequences, is completely unacceptable. A referendum must be held on Germany's policy in Ukraine, especially on the ban on the delivery of Taurus missiles," Wagenknecht demanded. According to her, the population must be able to set limits on the federal government's policy toward Ukraine. "It cannot be that the public is sidelined and then we suddenly wake up in a nuclear war," Wagenknecht said ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Berlin on Wednesday. Background: On 26 May, Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that weapons supplied by Germany to Ukraine were no longer subject to range restrictions and, therefore, could be used against targets on Russian territory. He said that the US, UK, France and Germany had lifted restrictions on long-range Ukrainian strikes against Russia several months ago. German Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil responded that there had been no new agreements within the government coalition regarding changes to the policy on Ukraine's ability to strike Russian territory. The only long-range German weapons that Ukraine is requesting from Germany are Taurus missiles. In the past, Merz has spoken out in favour of supplying these missiles to Ukraine, but since coming to power in early May, he has not commented on the possible delivery of these missiles to Kyiv. Meanwhile, Merz's government has decided to limit public information about which weapons systems it will supply to Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Small group of MEPs to visit Moscow on Victory Day
A small group of members of the European Parliament, including two members of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, a pro-Russian far-left party in Germany, will be among the guests at the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. [Victory Day is a Russian holiday commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, celebrated on 9 May – ed.] Source: German news magazine Spiegel, as reported by European Pravda Details: Ruth Firmenich and Michael von der Schulenburg, MEPs and associates of Wagenknecht, announced they would participate in the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow and would be accompanied by three other MEPs from Czechia, Slovakia and Cyprus. While in Moscow, they intend to meet with members of the Russian parliament and other representatives of the political and cultural spheres. They stated their motive as being the desire "to overcome the growing spiral of confrontation and escalation in Europe". Firmenich and von der Schulenburg stated they plan to travel to Kyiv afterwards and have been in contact with the Ukrainian embassy regarding this. Ruth Firmenich is described as a close associate of Sahra Wagenknecht, having worked with her since 2004. When asked about her party members' trip to Moscow, Wagenknecht said she saw nothing scandalous in it. Quote from Wagenknecht: "They are going to Moscow to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the 80th anniversary of liberation. I don't know what there is to criticise about that. They will not be taking part in the military parade or any similar state events." Background: In February, Wagenknecht refused to answer a question about whether she was glad that Ukraine still existed as a state despite three years of full-scale war and numerous losses. She also stated that German industry – and the European economy in general – "has no chance" without cheap energy resources from Russia. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wagenknecht fails to unseat party official amid BSW power struggle
Firebrand populist politician Sahra Wagenknecht failed to unseat a regional official of her Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) at a key conference Saturday in the eastern German city of Gera amid a power struggle over the party's direction. The BSW's leadership in the state of Thuringia - where it forms part of the regional government - faced re-election at the meeting. Thuringia's deputy premier and finance minister, Katja Wolf, sought another term as chair of the state party, but faced a contested election and opposition from Wagenknecht. In a letter to party members ahead of the vote, Wagenknecht had called for delegates to support another candidate, state lawmaker Anke Wirsing. However Wolf prevailed and beat Wirsing. Wolf received 61 votes in the vote in Gera. Wirsing, who has hardly appeared in state politics to date and sees herself as a Wagenknecht supporter, received 35 votes. The Thuringian BSW members discussed a separation of offices in future in Gera, but no motions were voted on. Wolf is part of the fragile coalition government in Thuringia, made up of the BSW, along with the Christian Democrats and the centre-left Social Democrats. The party power struggle is also emblematic of the BSW's wider struggles since it burst onto the German political scene last year. The anti-immigration party broke off from The Left party and had success in state elections in eastern Germany in September. "We would have found a different decision smarter," BSW Secretary General Christian Leye told dpa after Wolf's selection. But he stressed that the decision in favour of Wolf was made democratically. Despite its regional success in regional elections, the BSW - which has been highly critical of German support for Ukraine following the Russian invasion - narrowly failed to reach the 5% threshold to enter the German parliament in February's national election. The poor result has led to calls for reform and restructuring within the party, which said this week it is challenging the results of the federal election.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wagenknecht: Russians must be invited to German WWII commemorations
Russian representatives should be allowed to take part in commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, German politician Sahra Wagenknecht told dpa on Wednesday. Wagenknecht - who founded the populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) last year - said excluding Russian diplomats from memorial services would be to forget history. "Anyone who no longer knows or wants to know that the Soviet army bore the brunt of the war against Nazi Germany and that 27 million people from the Soviet Union, the majority of them Russians, fell victim to the extermination campaign of the German Wehrmacht, is out of place in German politics," she told dpa. Wagenknecht's upstart anti-immigrant party, which received just short of 5% of the vote in February's parliamentary election, has been seen as pro-Russia for its open questioning of German support for Ukraine. Her comments came after the German Foreign Office recommended that officials from Russia and Belarus should not be invited to commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the war's end in May. The decision was justified by fears that Russia could "exploit the commemorative events and improperly link them" to the war in Ukraine. Wagenknecht said the move "damages Germany's international reputation" and warned of a "new German zeitgeist that seeks to mentally prepare us for the next war with Russia." East Germans in particular have not forgotten that "without a Soviet President [Mikhail] Gorbachev, German reunification would never have happened," she added. The Russian embassy has insisted on participating in events marking the anniversary. However, the Bundestag - Germany's lower house of parliament - said that the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors would not be invited to its commemorative ceremony on May 8.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
University of Pittsburgh students say Sudiksha Konanki 'crazy' disappearance could 'happen to anybody'
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – As students returned to the picturesque University of Pittsburgh campus after spring break, one student was noticeably missing. Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old pre-medical student, vanished over a week ago and has yet to be found. Fox News Digital spoke with university students about spring break safety and their perspectives on international travel in light of Konanki's disappearance. The students shared what safety tips they plan on implementing following the Virginia resident's disappearance in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Iowa Witness Held In Missing American Student Case Appears In Dominican Court "I think it's such a crazy concept that it could be anybody, especially considering we also had friends who were at the same resort at the same time," Bailey Wagenknecht, a junior marketing student, told Fox News Digital. "Something that could literally happen to anybody." Wagenknecht, along with her friend, Olivia Lee, a sophomore business student, shared that their group of friends had considered traveling internationally, but decided against it. Read On The Fox News App "It was a conversation that we had about what kind of people were going to be going, and what we would have to do to make sure that we were going to be safe in that environment," Wagenknecht said. "[Safety while traveling internationally] is in the back of your mind a bit when you're planning these kind of trips," Lee said. "I don't think it's something that necessarily should scare people or kind of make them feel like they can't go on these trips with their friends, but just be more cautious." American College Student Disappears In Dominican Republic: Timeline "I went to Myrtle Beach last year for my senior spring break and just being around a group of people that you're comfortable with and have your back is always so important, especially when you're in a place so far from home," Robert Beckman, a first-year business student, said. "I'm originally from Erie [Pennsylvania], so it was kind of hard to convince my parents that I should be down there with my friends." David Eymer, also a first-year business student, said that he was taught to stick with the "buddy system" whenever traveling. Key Witness In American College Student's Disappearance Tells Police How They Met, What Happened On Beach "Something that my family has always been big on, is the buddy system," he said. "Especially if you're going somewhere that you aren't used to – like a spring break trip." "Always have somebody close by that you can trust," he said. "And try not to wander off by yourself when you're in a new environment." Kate Wentzler, a junior in interdisciplinary studies, told Fox News Digital that she went to Spain for spring break. She shared how the break came amid an "especially hard time in the semester." "Just seeing that thing can happen to someone in this area, someone that people know around here is really sad and it is really tragic," she said. "Unfortunately, that kind of thing can happen anywhere, regardless of what you do. It can happen here too." Wentzler said that despite Konanki's disappearance, she would still travel to the Dominican Republic, but she cautioned other students to create a safety plan and stick with it. "It has a lot to do with individual choices and even your plans just for that one night and who you plan to spend it with," she said. "I think it more comes down to that than something about the D.R. itself or traveling in general." Hotel Horror Stories Emerge After American College Student Goes Missing As Resort Insists No Connection Aubrey Coward, a first-year pre-pharmacy student, said that she's taking the circumstances surrounding Konanki's disappearance to heart, saying that for future spring breaks, she wouldn't go off by herself. "I don't have the finances to go on a vacation like that," she shared. "But if I do travel during college, my parents have always taught me to go with people you know and don't ever leave with anyone. Always travel in groups." Missing American College Student Seen In New Hotel Security Footage Before Disappearance Konanki, a 20-year-old pre-med student at the University of Pittsburgh, vanished on March 6, during a spring break trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. She was last seen in the early hours on a beach near the Riu República Hotel, where she had been staying with friends. Extensive search efforts by Dominican authorities, including aerial and underwater operations, have not yet yielded any evidence of foul play. Authorities believe that Konanki drowned, with her parents requesting that she be declared legally article source: University of Pittsburgh students say Sudiksha Konanki 'crazy' disappearance could 'happen to anybody'
