French President Emmanuel Macron invited, Friday, November 18, economic leaders of Asia-Pacific countries participating in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit to join the “growing consensus” against the war in Ukraine. “France’s number one priority is to contribute to peace in Ukraine and to try to have a global dynamic to put pressure on Russia”, did he declare. He counts “to work very closely with China, India, the whole region, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, to create a growing consensus saying ‘this war is also your problem'”. Follow our live.
Many power cuts. Several Ukrainian cities, including the capital kyiv, again suffered Russian strikes on Thursday. Up to ten million people have been without power, while the first snow has fallen in Ukraine where temperatures could drop to -10°C this week. These repetitive bombings have targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since October, regularly depriving millions of inhabitants of power and water.
Cases of torture denounced in Kherson. In Kherson, Dmytro Loubynets, in charge of human rights in Parliament, affirms that he has not “not seen yet” torture “on such a scale”. “After visiting all the torture chambers in various regions of Ukraine”he said on national television, that “the extent of the phenomenon” in Kherson, liberated on Wednesday November 9 after weeks of occupation, was “horrible”. According to him, ofare “dozens of people” have been “electrocuted, beaten with metal pipes”. “Their bones were broken” and “the Russians filmed all this”he accused.
Ukrainian grain deal extended. On the diplomatic and economic level, the agreement allowing Ukrainian grain exports from Ukrainian ports was renewed on Thursday for the four winter months, raising concerns about a possible global food crisis. This “Grain Initiative” in the Black Sea has enabled more than eleven million tons of grain to be taken out of Ukrainian ports in four months, after a long blockade by the Russian army in the spring.