Volodymyr Zelensky warns. If Bakhmout, the epicenter of particularly deadly fighting for months, was taken, the Russian army would have “the free way” to take over towns in eastern Ukraine. “We understand that after Bakhmout they could go further. They could go to Kramatorsk, they could go to Sloviansk, the way would be clear for the Russians (…) to other cities in Ukraine”said the President of Ukraine, in a CNN interview (link in English) aired Wednesday, March 8. Follow our live.
European defense ministers want “enable war economy mode”. Meeting in Stockholm on Wednesday in the presence of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and their Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiï Reznikov, they must prepare a plan for delivering ammunition to Ukraine, despite stocks under pressure, with a first emergency component to one billion euros. The Ukrainian army, which fires thousands every day to repel Russian soldiers, faces a critical shortage of 155 mm shells for its guns.
Antonio Guterres on his way to kyiv. Arriving in Poland on Tuesday, the UN chief is going to the Ukrainian capital during the day where he is to meet Volodymyr Zelensky. The two men must in particular evoke the continuation of the agreement on the exports of Ukrainian cereals. This is the third trip to Ukraine since the start of the war for Antonio Guterres.
Macron and Biden exchanged again on Ukraine. The French and American presidents spoke by telephone on Tuesday. They “discussed their support for Ukraine as Russia’s brutal invasion entered its second year, including their commitment to continue to provide Ukraine with security assistance and to impose sanctions on Russia for its aggression”says the White House press release (link in English).
Warsaw announces the delivery of ten Leopard tanks to kyiv. “Poland will deliver to Ukraine this week 10 tanks [de combat] Leopard 2A4”, said Mariusz Blaszczak, Tuesday, March 7, in front of journalists in Warsaw. On Friday February 24, Poland announced the delivery of four Leopard 2 tanks, during a visit to kyiv, and promised an additional shipment.