Situation on the ground, international reactions, sanctions: update on the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Ukraine still ready to negotiate
Ukraine is “always ready” to hold talks with Russia, stalled after the discovery of atrocities in liberated Ukrainian cities, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.
“We are ready to fight and at the same time seek diplomatic ways to stop this war […] “, assured the Ukrainian president during a press conference with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, visiting kyiv and Boutcha.
Kramatorsk train station
Mr. Zelensky had previously called for “a firm global response” after the deadly bombardment of Kramatorsk station (east), where civilians were gathered to flee the region for fear of a Russian offensive.
The missile strike killed 52 people on Friday, including 5 children, according to a latest report from local authorities.
Moscow denied being responsible for the strike, saying it did not have the type of missile that would have been used, before denouncing a Ukrainian “provocation”.
10 billion euros for Ukraine
An international fundraiser has raised 10.1 billion euros to support Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Saturday.
The Stand Up for Ukraine campaign, organized by the European Union, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the international organization Global Citizen, aimed to raise funds for Ukrainian displaced persons and refugees.
Boris Johnson in Kyiv
The British prime minister, on a surprise visit to kyiv on Saturday, pledged to supply Ukraine with armored vehicles and anti-ship missiles.
“What Putin did to Boutcha and Irpin are war crimes and have permanently tarnished his reputation and the representation of his government,” Boris Johnson, the first G7 leader to visit, blasted at a press conference. Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Western countries to follow Britain’s example of military support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
Curfew in Odessa
A curfew will be in effect from Saturday evening to Monday morning in Odessa, the major Ukrainian port on the Black Sea, in the face of the “threat” of missile strikes, according to local authorities.
Russia close to default
Financial ratings agency S&P Global Ratings on Saturday downgraded Russia’s rating for foreign currency payments to “selective default,” the last step before general default.
Moscow threatens Youtube
Russia on Saturday promised retaliation after the shutdown of the YouTube account of the lower house of the Russian parliament, raising the possibility of a blockage in Russia of the video platform of the American giant Google.
Morozov collection
Two paintings from the Morozov collection, including that of a Russian oligarch and another belonging to a Ukrainian museum, exhibited at the Vuitton Foundation in Paris since September, will “remain in France”, the Ministry of Health announced to AFP on Saturday. Culture.
The first painting will remain there “as long as its owner, a Russian oligarch, remains subject to an asset freezing measure”, and the second “until the situation in the country allows his return to safety”.
More than 4.4 million refugees
More than 4.4 million Ukrainian refugees have fled their country since the Russian invasion on February 24, according to figures from the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The UN also estimates the number of internally displaced persons at 7.1 million.
Ukraine has a “European future”
“Russia will sink into economic, financial and technological decay, while Ukraine is marching towards a European future,” Ursula von der Leyen said Friday in kyiv.
Before that, the President of the European Commission, accompanied by the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, had gone to Boutcha, in particular to see the mass graves dug to bury the dozens of civilians killed there.
War crimes: EU / ICC discussions
The European Union will discuss its support for investigations into possible war crimes in Ukraine during meetings on Sunday and Monday with International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan, the European Commission announced on Saturday.