Find here all of our live #UKRAINE
11:27 : The Ukrainian army says it damaged the Russian tug Vasily Bekh in the Black Sea, near Serpents’ Island, in full transport of ammunition and arms. The Ukrainian Navy welcomes this successful strike despite “the presence of the TOR anti-aircraft missile system” aboard the Russian boat. At this stage, Moscow has not denied or confirmed this information.
11:02 : Hello @Isa, you are right to ask yourself this question. To be a candidate for membership of the European Union, a country must satisfy a series of political criteria (democracy, rule of law, protection of minorities), economic (viable market economy) and commit to integrating the rules of European law. Ukraine is already linked to the EU through an Association Agreement which entered into force in September 2017. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has visited Ukraine twice, acknowledged that authorities of this country had “does a lot” with a view to their candidacy, but felt that there was still “a lot to do”, particularly in the fight against corruption and respect for the rule of law. It is for these reasons that Emmanuel Macron affirms that Ukraine could not be a candidate “normally” and that the war is accelerating the process.
11:02 : Hello franceinfo. Allow me to ask the question again. Why does Emmanuel Macron say that normally Ukraine could not be a candidate for entry into the European Union?
10:56 : “The humanitarian situation across Ukraine, particularly in eastern Donbass, is extremely alarming and continues to deteriorate rapidly.”
According to Ocha, the situation is “particularly worrying” in Sievierodonetsk and its surroundings, the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the Luhansk region, almost entirely under Russian control. “Access to drinking water, food, (…) and electricity” there is “reduced”underlines Ocha, result in particular “fighting that continues to escalate”, “taking a heavy toll on the civilian population”.
10:49 : GRTgaz specifies that Flows had already been reduced by 60% since the start of the year and this single interconnection point with Germany was already running at only 10% capacity “at the beginning of 2022”. GRTgaz does not know the cause of this cut but it comes at a time when Gazprom has considerably reduced gas deliveries to Germany, via the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. However, in the meantime, France has increased its natural gas purchases liquefied gas (LNG), which arrives by LNG tanker in terminals close to their technical maximum, according to GRTgaz.
10:31 a.m. : The operator of the French gas transport network has not received Russian gas by pipeline since June 15, with “the interruption of the physical flow between France and Germany”. The Russian giant Gazprom has considerably reduced its deliveries to European countries in recent days, in particular to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, which could have caused the interruption of supplies to France. The French manager reassured about the filling of French stocks which amounts to 56% against 50% usually on the same date.
10:28 : France no longer receives any Russian gas by pipeline, network operator GRTgaz announces
10:23 : The large Azot chemical plant in Sievierodonetsk, where around 500 civilians have taken refuge in recent days, is impossible to evacuate without “complete ceasefire”, advances the governor of the Luhansk region, Serguiï Gaïdaï. He judges “impossible and dangerous” attempt to leave the site “due to constant shelling and fighting” with Russian forces that have been trying to take control of this key city in Donbass for weeks.
10:08 : After more than three months of daily bombardments, Lyssytchansk, located in the east of the country, is largely destroyed. Franceinfo was able to enter this area of the Donbass shelled by Russian forces to meet the inhabitants in distress. “Where does it pull from? Who are we shooting? We don’t even try to find out anymore. We are survivors. We have already passed the stage of concern. We don’t even react anymore when the shells fly and fall. We got used to“, says one of the inhabitants.
10:01 a.m. : “Our country must play its role as a unifying European power, at the same time as a mediating power and peace, it is a job for Europe but also for the French people because I do not want the war to extends and because this war affects us in our daily life, it will affect us for a long time (…) Faced with this, we need a strong France, which can take clear decisions in Europe, a France which can move Europe forward .”
09:58 : “I come back focused and marked because we have seen and what we have experienced. (…) We have a few hours from Paris on European soil women and men who are fighting for their freedom, for their territory.”
09:54 : “We have, without any concession, supported Ukraine, sanctioned Russia. (…) We are doing everything so that Ukraine can win this war. (…) The role of France, while helping the “Ukraine is to continue to have ties, a discussion with Russia. Whenever it will be useful, I will do it [parler avec Vladimir Poutine]. Why ? because they don’t talk to each other.”
09:49 : Before going to Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron had been to Romania and Moldova. According to him, the latter country can also “become [candidat]”.
09:45 : “Normally Ukraine could not be a candidate (…) We do it because it’s war. The road will be long but it is a sign of hope.”
09:39 : On the possible entry of Ukraine into the European Union, “there is an assumed decision on the part of France and Germany and other member countries”says Emmanuel Macron. “Ukraine is in the European family, it is a strong signal sent to Russia”he adds.
09:35 : Emmanuel Macron is interviewed on BFMTV after his trip to Ukraine. “For me, the strong image is this unity of Europeans, this solidarity and this desire to provide historic answers”assures the Head of State.
10:30 a.m. : It’s time to take stock of the news.
• A third of France is on heatwave vigilance with a thermometer that will often exceed 40°C today. Twelve departments are in particular on red alert. In total, 37 departments, or 18 million people, are concerned by the vigilance put in place by Météo France.
• Last day of campaigning for legislative candidates. The Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, continues her tour of Calvados, Marine Le Pen will be in Pas-de-Calais while Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Julien Bayou will hold a press conference in Paris. Follow our live.
• Franceinfo looked at the various duels in the second round. We have selected twenty of them, particularly interesting to follow because of a very tight vote gap in the first round, with political leaders in difficulty or new faces eager to create a surprise.
• The European Commission must now issue an opinion on Ukraine’s candidate status for membership of the European Union, following the visit of the French, German and Italian leaders to kyiv. Follow our live.
A security perimeter has been in place for 6 hours around the Pont-Neuf in Paris, for the needs of a “judicial operation”. This is the reconstruction of the events that occurred at this place on April 24.
08:56 : War in Ukraine: “In the French political class, there is still too much complacency vis-à-vis Putin”, denounces Yannick Jadot, who assumes that “this remains a subject of disagreement” within the alliance of Nupes. https://t.co/FWO1qpk8rX
08:56 : According to Yannick Jadot, “in the French political class, there is still too much complacency vis-à-vis Vladimir Putin”. “It remains a subject of disagreement” within the Nupes alliance.
08:57 : “It was good to go there, especially with Olaf Scholz and Mario Draghi, because they are the three major economic powers of the European Union. But it’s a shame that it’s so late. This step is good, but it is the first since the war (…) Today, he [Emmanuel Macron] Do it [le voyage en Ukraine] to try to purge his statements about ‘Caution, don’t humiliate Russia’.”
08:24 : “Les Révélateurs” of France Télévisions dissected and passed through a lie detector the photo (below) produced by the former French soldier Adrien Bocquet, who claims to have witnessed war crimes committed by Ukrainian soldiers, serving in the controversial Azov regiment.
(ADRIEN BOCQUET)
08:20 : Since his arrival a month ago, a Ukrainian father who took refuge in France, suffering from serious cancer, has not been able to be taken care of because of an incredible administrative imbroglio which prevents him from benefiting, as a Ukrainian, temporary Medicare protection.
08:19 : The visit of Emmanuel Macron and European leaders to Ukraine resulted in an agreement on kyiv’s status as a candidate for membership of the European Union. A decision hailed by the Ukrainians, just like the new announcement of delivery of weapons, even if it would take even more, assures Anatoli. “It’s already not bad, but we need a lot more weapons because the front is very extensive. We need artillery, tanks, armored vehicles”he assures our journalist Yann Gallic, who yesterday interviewed several residents of the Ukrainian capital.
08:09 : We start the press review with the visit of Emmanuel Macron and European leaders to Ukraine, which occupies a large part of the front pages of the national media. The Parisian come back to this trip “high risk”, Release title “Visitors” and Le Figaro salute “Europe’s tribute to Ukrainian courage”.
08:57 : We begin with a first point on the news.
• A third of France is on heat wave vigilance with a thermometer often exceeding 40°C. Twelve departments are in particular on red alert. In total, 37 departments, or 18 million people, are concerned by the vigilance put in place by Météo France.
• Last day of campaigning for legislative candidates. The Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, continues her tour of Calvados, Marine Le Pen will be in Pas-de-Calais while Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Julien Bayou will hold a press conference in Paris. Also relive in full the debate that took place last night on France 2 between François Bayrou (MoDem), Mathilde Panot (Nupes), Philippe Ballard (RN) and Jean-François Copé (LR).
• The French, German and Italian leaders as well as their Romanian counterpart have expressed their readiness to grant “immediately” Ukraine the status of candidate for membership of the European Union during their unprecedented visit to kyiv. Here’s what to remember from this trip. The European Commission must now give its opinion on this subject.
In a stage report from the Stade de France, the presidents of the culture and law commissions of the Senate, Laurent Lafon (centrist) and François-Noël Buffet (LR), denounced “unpreparedness” public authorities for the Champions League final on May 28.