Summary of the day
Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, has said her National Rally party needed to make a “clean break” with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
She said it was “urgent to establish a cordon sanitaire” and that “the AfD goes from provocation to provocation.”
Maximilian Krah, AfD’s lead candidate in the European parliament elections, said he will refrain from making any further campaign appearances and step down from the party’s leadership board.
The European Greens’ Terry Reintke said that despite Krah’s move, “one thing has not changed: the AfD and its far-right friends are Putin’s extended arm in the European Parliament. They want to destroy the EU and our democracy. We will stop them.”
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated an urgent need for faster western aid. “In order to destroy the enemy, deter Russian pressure, and achieve the results necessary for Ukraine, we need prompt assistance from our partners,” he said.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, said that Russia would regard the seizure of revenue from its frozen assets in the EU as a violation of all norms of the global economic system.
The head of the Donetsk regional state administration, Vadym Filashkin, said that “on May 21st, the number of the victims of the Russians in Donetsk oblast increased by 1 killed, 3 injured.”
A Russian attack on Chuhuiv in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region wounded at least seven people this morning, the region’s governor said.
Oleksandr Lytvynenko, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, told the Financial Times that Washington should lift its “absolutely unfair” ban on the Ukrainian armed forces using American-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia.
Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, has spoke with the White House national security advisor, Jake Sullivan.
“Informed him in detail about the situation at the frontline and emphasized the importance of bolstering our air defense with modern Western systems,” Yermak said.
Had a phone conversation with the National Security Advisor to @POTUS @JakeSullivan46.
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) May 22, 2024
Informed him in detail about the situation at the frontline and emphasized the importance of bolstering our air defense with modern Western systems. pic.twitter.com/or9HvJKuru
A Russian airstrike on Kharkiv destroyed a cafe, damaged a nearby residential building and set a petrol station ablaze, Reuters reported.
Ten people were wounded, at least one severely, local officials said.
Members of Austria’s far-right Freedom party are celebrating their performance in opinion polling.
👏❤️🩹 https://t.co/hXuTiWCI4d
— Harald Vilimsky (@vilimsky) May 22, 2024
Daniel Freund, a German Green member of the European parliament, has criticised Marine Le Pen’s approach to Alternative for Germany.
“Le Pen didn’t just find out yesterday that AfD is an extreme right-wing party. She knew for years. Le Pen realized that hanging out with AfD will be the major obstacle to posts and power after the EU elections,” he said.
Le Pen didn't just find out yesterday that AfD is an extreme right-wing party. She knew for years.
— Daniel Freund (@daniel_freund) May 22, 2024
Le Pen realized that hanging out with AfD will be the major obstacle to posts and power after the EU elections.
AfD was just stupid enough to give her an excuse for the break-up.
The centre-right European People’s party’s president, Manfred Weber, has visited Finland.
“Thank you for protecting EU & NATO border from the hybrid attacks of Russia & Belarus. Instrumentalising illegal migration is a threat to our security,” he said.
Finnish borders are European borders 🇫🇮🇪🇺! Today at the Vaalimaa border my message is: thank you for protecting EU & NATO border from the hybrid attacks of Russia & Belarus. Instrumentalising illegal migration is a threat to our security.
— Manfred Weber (@ManfredWeber) May 22, 2024
We will not allow anyone to blackmail us! pic.twitter.com/ECgvIoWhGz
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he is grateful to Sweden for the country’s decision on long-term aid to Kyiv.
“Today’s decision on a new framework for long-term support for Ukraine totaling $7 billion over the next three years demonstrates Sweden’s practical solidarity with Ukraine in our struggle for freedom,” he said.
I am grateful to @SwedishPM Ulf Kristersson and the entire Swedish people for their unwavering support for Ukraine.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 22, 2024
Today's decision on a new framework for long-term support for Ukraine totaling $7 billion over the next three years demonstrates Sweden's practical solidarity with… https://t.co/Lk68QCaq97
The far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) has criticised tomorrow’s EU election debate, where the party will not be represented due to organisers’ rules about only allowing official lead candidates to participate.
— Identity & Democracy Party (@IDParty_) May 22, 2024
'We will stop them': Greens push back against AfD
Terry Reintke, a Green lead candidate in the European elections, has argued that despite Maximilian Krah’s move to step down from the AfD’s leadership board, Alternative for Germany is still extremist.
“One thing does not change: the AfD and its right-wing extremist friends are Putin’s extended arm in the EP,” she said.
“They want to destroy the EU and our democracy. We will stop them,” she added.
Der AfD-Spitzenkandidat Krah ist aus dem Bundesvorstand zurückgetreten.
— Terry Reintke (@TerryReintke) May 22, 2024
Aber eins ändert sich nicht: Die AfD und ihre rechtsextremen Freunde sind der verlängerte Arm Putins im EP.
Sie wollen die EU und unsere Demokratie kaputt machen.
Wir werden sie stoppen.
Updated
'As soon as possible': Zelenskiy calls for 'prompt assistance'
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy has reiterated a sense of urgency this morning.
“In order to destroy the enemy, deter Russian pressure, and achieve the results necessary for Ukraine, we need prompt assistance from our partners,” he wrote on social media.
“Our warriors must be able to use the necessary weapons as soon as possible. This is the only way we can ensure the Ukrainian result we all need,” he added.
In order to destroy the enemy, deter Russian pressure, and achieve the results necessary for Ukraine, we need prompt assistance from our partners. Our warriors must be able to use the necessary weapons as soon as possible. This is the only way we can ensure the Ukrainian result… pic.twitter.com/8npYLmmQTg
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 22, 2024
Kremlin criticises EU plan to use revenue from frozen assets
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, said today that Russia would regard the seizure of revenue from its frozen assets in the EU as a violation of all norms of the global economic system, and that Moscow is still working on its response, Reuters reported.
Yesterday, the Council of the EU approved using net profits stemming from frozen Russian assets to be used for military support to Ukraine, defence industry capacities and reconstruction.
Who sits where?
In the current European parliament, far-right and nationalist parties are split.
There’s the Identity and Democracy group, which brings together France’s National Rally, Alternative for Germany, Austria’s Freedom Party, Belgium’s Vlaams Belang, and Italy’s Lega, among others.
But there are tensions between the French and German parties, and Marine Le Pen said today that her party needs a “clean break” from Alternative for Germany.
Then there’s the European Conservatives and Reformists group, which is seen within Brussels as more mainstream. It includes, however, a diverse mix of parties, such as Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, Poland’s conservative Law and Justice, Spain’s far-right Vox and the Czech prime minister Petr Fiala’s Civic Democratic Party.
Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party is not currently a member of any grouping, but could formally try to join the ECR after the elections.
Le Pen calls for 'clean break' with Alternative for Germany
Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, has said her National Rally party needed to make a “clean break” with the German Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Reuters reported.
In a radio interview, Le Pen accused the AfD of being rudderless and in hock to radical elements within it.
“It was urgent to establish a cordon sanitaire,” she said on Europe 1 radio. “The AfD goes from provocation to provocation,” she said.
“Now it’s no longer time to distance ourselves, it’s time to make a clean break with this movement,” she added.
In a recent interview, the AfD’s lead candidate, Maximilian Krah, told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that “SS were not all criminals”.
The comment led Le Pen’s party to declare it will not sit with the AfD in the next parliament. Both Le Pen’s National Rally and the AfD are now members of the Identity and Democracy grouping in the European parliament.
This morning, Krah announced that he will stop campaigning and step down from the AfD’s leadership board.
The AfD – and Krah himself – have been embroiled in multiple controversies in recent months.
Last month, one of Krah’s aides was arrested over accusations he spied for China.
Updated
AfD lead candidate to step down from party board
Maximilian Krah, Alternative for Germany’s lead candidate in the European parliament elections, said he will refrain from making any further campaign appearances and step down from the party’s leadership board.
Krah has been embroiled in multiple controversies over the past weeks. In a recent interview, the far-right politician said he would “never say that anyone who wore an SS uniform was automatically a criminal@.
The comment led France’s National Rally to declare it will not sit with the AfD in the next parliament, highlighting divisions within Europe’s far-right and nationalist camp weeks ahead of the European elections.
Man kann nie tiefer fallen als in Gottes Hand. Ich nehme zur Kenntnis, dass sachliche und differenzierte Aussagen von mir als Vorwand missbraucht werden, um unserer Partei zu schaden. Das Letzte, was wir derzeit brauchen, ist eine Debatte um mich. Die AfD muss ihre Einigkeit…
— Dr. Maximilian Krah MdEP (@KrahMax) May 22, 2024
Updated
A Russian attack on Chuhuiv in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region wounded at least seven people this morning, the region’s governor said, Reuters reported.
Russian forces attacked Chuhuiv with S-400 missiles, causing damage to a kindergarten and a private residence, according to preliminary information from the Kharkiv region’s police.
Ukraine shoots down Shahed drones
Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said that overnight “the Ukrainian Defense Forces managed to shoot down all 24 Shaheds,” Ukrinform reports.
One killed, three injured in Donetsk region, Ukrainian official says
The head of the Donetsk regional state administration, Vadym Filashkin, said in a social media post this morning that “on May 21st, the number of the victims of the Russians in Donetsk oblast increased by 1 killed, 3 injured.”
Ukrainian official pushes for US to lift ban on using American weapons to strike targets in Russia
Oleksandr Lytvynenko, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, told the Financial Times that Washington should lift its “absolutely unfair” ban on the Ukrainian armed forces using American-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia.
Lytvynenko said “it would be beneficial” for Kyiv if the Biden administration lifted that restriction.
