Vladimir Putin believes that “what is happening” in Ukraine is a “question of life or death” for Russia. For the West, “This is an improvement in their tactical position. But for us, it is our destiny”, declared the Russian president in an excerpt of an interview published on social networks on Sunday February 18. He judges that he is “important” for Russians and foreigners alike “to understand our state of mind, to understand how sensitive and important what is happening around Ukraine is for our country.” Follow our live stream.
Two deaths in Kramatorsk. A Russian strike on the town of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine hit homes on Saturday, killing at least two people. “Rescuers removed the body of a woman born in 1977 from the rubble” as well as that of a 23-year-old man, declared the regional governor.
Moscow claims “total control” of Avdiïvka. The Ukrainian army announced on the night of Friday to Saturday its withdrawal from this city in the east of the country, after months of heavy fighting. The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, claimed the “Total control” of the industrial city. Vladimir Putin, for his part, welcomed “an important victory”.
Joe Biden reassures Volodymyr Zelensky on American aid. The American president informed his Ukrainian counterpart on Saturday of his “trust” in the continuation of American military aid, currently blocked in Congress. Without resumption of this assistance, Joe Biden spoke of his fears that another Ukrainian city would fall into the hands of Russian forces.