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10:55 p.m. : The door opened by the British Ministry of Defense to the sending of fighter planes to Ukraine, just now, is closed a little by its Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this evening. It’s about “incredibly sophisticated equipment that requires months if not years of training”, he hammered on the TalkTV channel. The important thing is to know “what would make the most difference”.
10:55 p.m. : Should Russian and Belarusian athletes be allowed to participate in the next Olympic Games? The question is increasingly pressing a year and a half before the event, in the face of virulent opposition from kyiv. The United States announces today that it supports their participation, if it is done under a neutral banner: “It must be absolutely clear that they do not represent the Russian or Belarusian states”, said the White House spokeswoman.
10:29 p.m. : Ukraine is hosting a summit tomorrow with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel. Kyiv hopes it will mark a step towards EU membership. “I think that Ukraine deserves to start negotiations for EU membership this year”argues Volodymyr Zelensky in his daily video message.
7:31 p.m. : British Defense Minister Ben Wallace did not rule out sending fighter jets to Ukraine: “I’m very open to looking at any kind of system, not just planes, to bring that help to Ukraine.” A formula that is not very affirmative but more open than that of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who, on Tuesdayjudged “not very practical” to provide the Ukrainian army with devices that it does not control.
4:55 p.m. : “It’s unbelievable, but German Leopard tanks are threatening us again.”
The Russian president drew a new parallel between the war against Hitler and his offensive in Ukraine. During the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory against the German army at Stalingrad, Vladimir Putin made reference to the German-built Leopard tanks promised by the Western allies in kyiv. Russia has “what to answer” countries that threaten it, he continued.
3:07 p.m. : Life on the front. Genya Savilov photographed Ukrainian soldiers in the trenches on the outskirts of the city of Kherson. Here are some pictures dated today and published via AFP.
1:57 p.m. : Ursula von der Leyen, traveling to Kyiv, was also asked about recent anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine. “I am reassured to see the anti-corruption organizations on alert and quickly detecting cases of corruption”, she rejoiced. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian authorities carried out searches in personalities and in administrations. The week before, senior officials had been sacked in connection with a corruption case involving army supplies.
1:53 p.m. : We spoke earlier about new European sanctions vis-à-vis Moscow, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, on February 24. According to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, the ceiling since December of the price of Russian oil for export at 60 dollars, “already costs Russia about 160 million euros a day”.
1:13 p.m. : Dear @ZelenskyyUa, while Ukrainians are fighting to defend our common values, we support your economic security. To date, our EU support amounts to €50 billion. We are with you on this for the long haul. https://t.co/tA0cpqjkJG
1:13 p.m. : Ursula Von der Leyen specifies that the European Union has already supported Ukraine to the tune of 50 billion euros. “We are with you for the long term”, said the President of the Commission, from Kyiv.
1:12 p.m. : The EU plans sanctions against Moscow for the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, on February 24, announces Ursula Von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. She is live from kyiv, where she is giving a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
10:17 a.m. : For his part, the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergey Lavrov, accused the West of supporting Ukraine to put an end to “The Russian Question”. According to him, Ursula von der Leyen “declared that the result of the war must be the defeat of Russia, and such a defeat that she will not recover for decades. Isn’t that racism and Nazism?”
10:11 a.m. : Good to be back in Kyiv, my 4th time since Russia’s invasion. This time, with my team of Commissioners. We are here together to show that the EU stands by Ukraine as firmly as ever. And to deepen further our support and cooperation. https://t.co/zf8fvoNKnG
10:11 a.m. : Arriving in kyiv this morning, Ursula von der Leyen assured Ukraine of the full support of the European Union, on the eve of an EU-Ukraine summit. This is the fourth visit by the President of the European Commission to the Ukrainian capital.
09:16 : “The memory of this battle prepares public opinion for a difficult, long-term war.”
If the reference to Stalingrad was still not very present at the start of the war in Ukraine, “it appears especially in the summer and in September, which corresponds to the time when the Russian army is experiencing difficulties”, explains to franceinfo Emilia Koustova, researcher in Russian civilization at the University of Strasbourg.
09:12 : Russia celebrates today the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, a major turning point in the Second World War. This memory is now politically exploited by the Kremlin to justify sending its soldiers to the front line in Ukraine. I explain to you how this memory allows the Russian power to regenerate its ideology.
(PAULINE LE NOURS / FRANCEINFO)
07:39 : The Russian strike we were talking about in the headlines took place at 9:45 p.m. (8:45 p.m. in Paris). It targeted eight buildings in the center of Kramatorsk, one of which completely collapsed. About 100 police were deployed to search the rubble. Donetsk region governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the attack left two people dead and 21 injured.
(GOOGLE MAPS SCREENSHOT)