[EN DIRECT] 11th day of the war in Ukraine: here are all the developments

Fighting continues in Ukraine for an eleventh day, as the number of people who have fled the country in 10 days exceeds the 1.5 million mark.

OPINION TEXTS

Here are the latest developments of the day, minute by minute

2:30 p.m. | Social network TikTok suspends creation of new videos in Russia

The social network TikTok announced on Sunday suspending the possibility of posting new videos on its platform in Russia, due to a new law penalizing the dissemination of information aimed at “discrediting” the army and its invasion of Ukraine.

2:08 p.m. | American Express suspends operations in Russia and Belarus

The American payment card issuer American Express announced on Sunday “suspending all its operations” in Russia and Belarus due to the invasion in Ukraine, after similar decisions by Visa and MasterCard.

1:42 p.m. | Denmark to hold referendum to join EU defense policy

Faced with tensions with Russia, the Danish government wants to join the defense policy of the European Union and will organize a national referendum on June 1, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Sunday.

1:32 p.m. | Ukraine: the new G7 sanctions must above all “affect the Russian oligarchs”

The new G7 sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine will above all “affect the oligarchs” who “benefited from Putin”, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Sunday.

“We are working on other sanctions,” he explained to public television ARD, when asked about the action of the G7, of which Germany currently holds the presidency.

“I particularly want these to affect the oligarchs”, detailed Mr. Lindner. “Those who took advantage of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and stole the wealth of the Russian people, including through corruption, cannot profit from their wealth in our Western democracies.”

The G7 countries announced in a statement on Friday their intention to impose “severe new sanctions” against Moscow, “in response to Russian aggression” against Ukraine.

12:35 | Russia warns neighboring countries of Ukraine hosting Kyiv fighter jets

Russia on Sunday warned countries neighboring Ukraine against hosting fighter jets from Kyiv which would then be used against forces in Moscow, blaming Romania, a NATO member state.

12:28 | Canadians ready to go to defend Ukraine

A few hundred Canadians are organizing these days to take up arms and go to defend Ukraine.

In an interview with CTV’s “W5” program, the leader of the Canadian-Ukrainian Brigade – who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals for his family in Ukraine – explained that he had already recruited “at least 600 people” ready to fight.

11:52 am | US, EU discuss ban on Russian oil imports

The United States and the European Union are “discussing very actively” the possibility of banning imports of Russian oil in response to the invasion of Ukraine, the head of the American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, said on Sunday.

10:52 am | Even more sanctions will be needed to deter Putin

The economic sanctions taken by the West against Russia are certainly having an effect, but it will take even more to really deal a blow against the regime of Vladimir Putin.

This is at least the opinion of Pierre Jolicoeur, associate vice-rector for research at the Royal Military College of Canada and a specialist in Russia, who notes that the sanctions for the moment largely avoid the oil sector, on which Europe for its fuel supply.

9:50 am | Putin accuses Kyiv of preventing humanitarian evacuations in Mariupol

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukrainian authorities of thwarting evacuation operations in Mariupol, a major port in southeastern Ukraine, in a telephone interview Sunday with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

9:22 am | 11-year-old Ukrainian refugee arrives alone in Slovakia

An 11-year-old Ukrainian boy crossed the border into Slovakia on his own with just a plastic bag, his passport and a handwritten phone number, Slovak police said on Sunday.

8:54 am | An airport destroyed by Russian strikes

Russian strikes on Sunday destroyed the airport in the city of Vinnytsia, some 200 kilometers southwest of Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced.

“I have just been informed of missile strikes against Vinnytsia”, a city with a population of almost 370,000, Mr Zelensky said in a video address on Telegram. “The airport was completely destroyed,” he added.

8:41 am | Justin Trudeau embarks on a trip to Europe

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took off for Europe on Sunday morning to take stock of Western allies’ response to Russia’s aggression of Ukraine.

Great Britain, Latvia, Germany and Poland are on Mr. Trudeau’s agenda.

7:35 am | No mercy for Ukrainian civilians

The resistance and courage of the Ukrainians struck the ruthlessness of Vladimir Putin on Saturday, as Russian soldiers decided to open fire on unarmed citizens in addition to violating the first ceasefire negotiated in the style of sincerity.

7:19 am | War: More than 1.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine

The number of people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine has passed the 1.5 million mark, constituting the fastest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War, alerted the UN on Sunday.

7:00 a.m. | Erdogan speaks on the phone with Putin and calls for an “urgent general ceasefire”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke on the phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday and called for an “urgent general ceasefire” in Ukraine, according to a press release from the Turkish presidency.

6:45 am | New telephone conversation between Macron and Putin, announces the French presidency

French President Emmanuel Macron is talking on the phone again with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the French presidency announced on Sunday, as Kyiv says Russian troops will bomb the port of Odessa.

6:28 | Russia: more than 1000 arrests of protesters against the intervention in Ukraine

At least 1,000 people demonstrating against the military intervention in Ukraine were arrested on Sunday in around 30 cities in Russia, said the NGO OVD-Info, which specializes in monitoring demonstrations.

5:58 | The United States is “actively working” on an agreement with Poland to send warplanes to Ukraine.

5:42 | New attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol

The strategic port of Mariupol, besieged by Russian troops, announced on Sunday that it wanted to evacuate its civilians, the day after an unsuccessful attempt because of the continuation of intense Russian bombardments.

“The evacuation of civilians will begin at 12:00 p.m.,” this municipality in eastern Ukraine said on Telegram, adding that a humanitarian corridor will be set up to the city of Zaparojie, about three hours from road and that a temporary ceasefire had been reached.

5:37 | Ukraine: Prada suspends retail sales in Russia

Italian luxury group Prada has decided to suspend retail sales in Russia after troops from Moscow invaded Ukraine, according to a statement on Sunday.

5:17 am | Suspension of Visa and Mastercard: Russian banks turn to the Chinese network UnionPay

4:07 | Sanctions: Russia fears the rise of a food black market

Russia is worried about the emergence of a network of resale of basic food products, the economy suffering under the onslaught of Western sanctions taken in retaliation for the entry of the Russian army into Ukraine.

“The largest federal and regional supermarket networks have decided to minimize the risk of purchase by ‘dealers’ of basic products,” the Russian Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a statement on Saturday.

0h45 | For fear of Russian bombs, Lviv tries to protect its cultural heritage

0h45 | This information war that Ukraine is currently winning on the networks

A few hours after the invasion of her country, a Ukrainian woman in a black jacket and a white cap copiously insults two armed Russian soldiers, filmed by a sidekick. “Occupiers”, “fascists!” A spectacular incarnation of the will of his people to impose themselves also on social networks.

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