The last chance interview? Emmanuel Macron talks again with Vladimir Putin, Sunday February 20, in an attempt to avoid a Russian invasion of Ukraine, where tensions are growing on the front line in the east. After the February 7 meeting between the French and Russian presidents in Moscow, this discussion, scheduled for 11 a.m. (French time) constitutes “the last possible and necessary efforts to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine”, underlined the Elysée. Follow our live.
More than 1,500 ceasefire violations in the east. Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on Saturday that they had observed a “dramatic increase” ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine, with a total of 1,566 violations in 24 hours, a record this year. During the night from Saturday to Sunday, Russian agencies reported artillery fire in the suburbs of Donetsk, in the immediate vicinity of the front line.
“All signs” of a “full attack”. For NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, “all signs point to Russia planning a full attack” from Ukraine. Moscow can launch an offensive “at any time”continues to repeat for its part the White House.
France recommends that its nationals leave Ukraine. France calls its nationals “whose stay in Ukraine has no compelling reason” to leave the country, the Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday.
“The readiness of Ukraine to dialogue”. Emmanuel Macron spoke on Saturday with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, who says he does not want “respond to provocations along the line of contact”, according to the Elysee. The Ukrainian leader told him “entrusted with telling Vladimir Putin Ukraine’s readiness for dialogue”underlined the French presidency.