Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday June 3 that his country would emerge victorious from the war against Russia, on the 100th day of the conflict. Moscow, which is concentrating its forces in the Donbass region, claims for its part that it has already reached “some” of its objectives. On the diplomatic level, the European Union has tightened its sanctions against Russia, with a gradual oil embargo. Here’s what to remember from the day.
“Victory will be ours”, says Volodymyr Zelensky
The Russian offensive has been focused for several weeks on the Donbass region, more particularly on Sievierodonetsk, a strategic city in the east of the country that Ukrainian troops are trying to defend. “Victory will be ours”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Instagram, while Moscow considers that it has fulfilled “some” of its objectives.
Russia considers that “many localities” have been “liberated”allowing populations to return to “a peaceful life”. “This war has and will have no winner”has estimated the UN coordinator in the country, Amin Awad. The NNegotiations between kyiv and Moscow have been at a standstill for several weeks.
Frenchman killed in fighting
A Frenchman was killed, “mortally wounded in battle” in Ukraine, announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry presented his condolences to his family. The identity of this man has not been communicated, nor the place where he perished.
According to information from France 2 special envoy Maryse Burgot, this fighter was 32 years old and was killed during artillery fire in the Kharkiv region. He had joined the Ukrainian International Defense Legion, bringing together volunteers from all over the world.
This is the third French death in Ukraine, since the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the February 24. This announcement comes just four days after the death of the French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, killed near Sievierodonetsk.
Otherwise,the Reuters agency announced on Friday that two of its journalists had been slightly injured and their driver killed. “During a report, two Reuters journalists were lightly injured when they were fired upon while en route to Sievierodonetsk”said a Reuters spokesman.
The sixth package of European sanctions against Moscow formalized
Among sanctions to cut off funding of the war against Ukraine published on Friday in the Official Journal of the European Union, the Twenty-Seven have banned the major part of Russian oil imports with an embargo within six months. She also expands her blacklist to around sixty personalities including the former Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva. Aimed for his role in “Propaganda” of the Kremlin, the media lend him a relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin which the latter has denied.
“European consumers will be the first to suffer from this decision (…) I do not exclude that there is a large deficit of petroleum products in the EU”for his part affirmed the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Russian Energy, Alexandre Novak.