This Thursday, Emmanuel Macron reiterated, in an interview with “The Economist”, that sending ground troops to Ukraine was not excluded.
However, he issued two conditions: that Russia “pierces the front lines” and that kyiv formulates the request for external intervention.
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More than two years of war in Ukraine
SENDING TROOPS “NOT EXCLUDED”, REDIT MACRON
Emmanuel Macron once again assumed the possibility of sending Western troops on the ground to Ukraine, estimating in an interview published Thursday by The Economist that we should “ask the question” if Moscow “was going to break through the front lines” and that kyiv asked for it.
“If the Russians were to go and break through the front lines, if there was a Ukrainian request – which is not the case today – we should legitimately ask ourselves the question,” the French president said at the British weekly. “To rule it out a priori is to fail to learn the lessons of the last two years,” while NATO countries had initially ruled out sending tanks and planes to Ukraine before finally change your mind, he added.
A NEW VILLAGE IN THE HANDS OF THE RUSSIANS
The Russian army claimed Thursday the capture of a new village in eastern Ukraine, continuing its slow advance in this area near the town of Avdiivka, conquered by Moscow in February.
Russian forces “completely liberated the village of Berdychi,” the Defense Ministry said in its daily statement. On Sunday, Ukraine indicated that it was withdrawing to the west of this locality.
“UNFOUNDED” ACCUSATIONS
The Kremlin on Thursday described as “unfounded” US accusations that Russia used a chemical agent against Ukrainian forces, in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
“As always, these accusations seem completely unfounded,” Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitri Peskov told the press, assuring that Moscow respected its “obligations relating to international law” in this area.
CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN UKRAINE?
According to Washington, Russia used chloropicrin against Ukrainian forces. This is a pesticide presenting a health risk if inhaled.
UPDATE ON THE SITUATION
- A Russian missile attack left around ten people injured in Odessa, a Ukrainian port city already targeted earlier this week by deadly attacks, local authorities reported overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. “Civilian infrastructure was destroyed” and “13 people were injured” in the attack, reported the mayor of this town in southwestern Ukraine, Gennadiï Trukhanov, adding that the firefighters were fighting “a fire” in scale, without providing further details.
- Five people, including a father and his daughter, were also killed and around twenty others were injured on Wednesday during several Russian strikes in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, regional authorities announced. Two civilians in a car were killed by a guided aerial bomb launched by Russian forces in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine, Governor Oleg Synegubov said. It concerns a 38-year-old woman and her father, said the Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s Office.
- The US State Department announced on Wednesday a new wave of sanctions targeting Russian or foreign companies or individuals considered to be participating in the Russian war effort in the invasion of Ukraine. In addition to Russian defense companies, the sanctions target around sixty foreign people and companies, particularly Chinese, accused of “helping Russia acquire key components for the manufacture of weapons or defense programs”, according to a statement.
- War crimes committed by Russians. The NGO Human Rights Watch produced a report, published this Thursday, according to which at least 15 Ukrainian soldiers have been shot dead after they surrendered since December 2023. The organization is calling for investigations to be opened.
- London called on Wednesday for the immediate release of Russian opponent Vladimir Kara-Mourza. The latter was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for “treason” because of his criticism of the offensive in Ukraine, so that he could benefit from “urgent” care.
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The US State Department announced on Wednesday a new wave of sanctions targeting Russian or foreign companies or individuals considered to be participating in the Russian war effort in the invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to Russian defense companies, the sanctions target around sixty foreign people and companies, particularly Chinese, accused of“help Russia acquire key components for weapons manufacturing or defense programs”according to a press release.
More than 200 companies targeted
Around a hundred Russian companies, among the more than 200 also targeted, operate specifically in the defense, transport or technology sectors. Several companies are involved in Russian chemical and biological weapons programs.
Finally, the sanctions aim to restrict the possibility of development of Russian gas and oil infrastructures, while Russia seeks to develop those which would allow it to more easily export its hydrocarbons to China in particular. These exports are currently carried out by tankers or LNG tankers, due to a lack of sufficient oil and gas pipelines to the east.
These sanctions, which also involve the American Department of State, provide in particular for freezing the assets of targeted companies or individuals present in the United States, as well as prohibiting American entities or citizens from doing business with the targets of the sanctions. . The people concerned are also prohibited from entering American territory.
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The G7 countries as well as the European Union and several friendly countries, such as Australia and South Korea, have increased sanctions against Russia since the outbreak of the invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022.
These sanctions aim to reduce the financing capacity of the Russian war effort, but also its capacity to procure critical components and materials for its equipment. They also led to the freezing of numerous assets of key Russian leaders, business leaders close to power as well as the Russian administration, notably the Central Bank.
The latest sanctions have particularly targeted the mining sector, notably Russian aluminum, copper and nickel, the import of which into the United States and the United Kingdom is now banned.