(Paris) Situation on the ground, international reactions, sanctions: update on the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Updated yesterday at 10:08 p.m.
Biden calls Putin a ‘butcher’
US President Joe Biden called Vladimir Putin a “butcher” during a meeting with Ukrainian refugees in Poland on Saturday. The battle “between democracy and autocracy” will be long but the United States is “on the side” of Ukraine, he said.
The Russian people “are not our enemy”, he insisted, but he warned its leaders: “Don’t even think about advancing an inch into NATO territory”.
“For the love of God, this man must not stay in power,” he said of Putin.
The White House then clarified that Mr. Biden was not calling for “regime change in Russia” but was referring to his actions abroad.
Slowing of the flow of refugees, demonstration in London
Nearly 3.8 million people have fled Ukraine, mostly to Poland, since the invasion of the Russian army on February 24, according to the UN. But the number of arrivals has slowed markedly since the beginning of the week.
Several thousand people demonstrated in London on Saturday to support the Ukrainians, the Labor mayor of the British capital Sadiq Khan judging the government’s action towards refugees too timorous.
On the military front
The city of Lviv, in western Ukraine and relatively spared from the fighting so far, suffered two Russian strikes on Saturday afternoon, leaving at least five wounded, according to the governor of the region.
About 120 km northeast of Kyiv, the town of Cherniguiv is surrounded by Russian forces, according to the mayor.
Ukrainian forces have announced that they have regained control of the town of Trostianets in the northeast. Around Donetsk and Luhansk, the two major cities of Donbass, they claim “to have inflicted significant losses on the Russian invaders”, reporting three planes shot down, eight tanks destroyed and some 170 soldiers killed on the Russian side.
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported a battle for control of two villages near Donetsk. To the north, the Russian army has taken control of the town of Slavutitch, where the staff of the Chernobyl plant reside.
South Ossetia, a self-proclaimed republic that seceded from Georgia, has announced that it has sent soldiers to Ukraine to “help protect Russia”.
Kyiv mayor backs off from extending curfew
The mayor of Kyiv finally gave up imposing a new curfew of 35 hours from Saturday evening, to return to the daily curfew only applying from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Conditions for lifting sanctions
British sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine could be lifted if Moscow agrees to a total ceasefire and withdraws its troops, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Saturday.
“Sanctions can only go away with a total ceasefire and the withdrawal [des troupes]but also with the commitment not to commit any more aggressions” against Ukraine, declared Mr.me Truss to the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, stating that these sanctions could be reimposed in the event of a new attack.
Like other Western countries, the UK has imposed sanctions on more than 1,000 Russian or Belarusian individuals and companies in recent weeks, the last salvo dating from two days ago.
Zelensky calls for more weapons
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky called in his latest video on Saturday evening for the supply of more weapons.
“We need more weaponry. We must not only protect Ukraine but also the other countries of Eastern Europe, under the threat of a Russian invasion. We made that clear in our talks with our American counterparts in Poland,” he said.
“What does NATO do? Is it led by Russia? What are they waiting for? “, he criticized.
The United States assured Kyiv on Saturday that it had “no objection” to the transfer of Polish fighter jets to Ukraine.
Russia: the Minister of Defense reappears
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, whose absence had raised questions, made his first public appearance in two weeks, according to images released on Saturday.
A great vagueness reigns as for the fate of the Russian generals died in Ukraine, seven in number according to Kyiv. According to Western officials another general, Vladislav Yerchov, was removed from his post by the Kremlin because of the heavy losses suffered by Russian troops. Only the death of two senior officers has been confirmed by Moscow.
Russian denial of a general mobilization
The Russian Defense Ministry assured on Saturday that it did not plan to call its reservists to join the fighting in Ukraine, blaming the Ukrainian secret services for “false calls” received by Russians.