Volodymyr Zelensky castigated Thursday March 21 the importation “without restrictions” cereals from Russia and Belarus, while at the same time deciding to cap its purchases of certain agricultural products from Ukraine. “We see that, unfortunately, Russia’s access to the European agricultural market remains unlimited. And when Ukrainian grain is thrown on the roads [par des agriculteurs polonais en colère]Russian products continue to be sent to Europe (…) It’s unfair”, he said during a videoconference interview with the Twenty-Seven meeting at a summit in Brussels. Follow our live stream.
Meeting of European leaders in Brussels. The Twenty-Seven meet Thursday and Friday in the Belgian capital to discuss Western aid to Ukraine in the face of a Russian threat considered increasingly worrying. They must discuss a plan aimed at using the exceptional profits generated by Russian assets frozen in Europe to finance arms purchases in favor of kyiv.
Russia claims capture of new Ukrainian village in Donbass. Moscow continues its slow advance in the Donbass facing a Ukrainian army lacking men and ammunition. Russia claimed on Thursday the capture of the village of Tonenké, located west of the town of Avdiïvka taken in February. “In the Avdiïvka area, the locality of Tonenké (…) was liberated”said the Russian Defense Ministry, two days after claiming the capture of the neighboring village of Orlivka, a few kilometers further north.
New major attack against the Ukrainian capital. Ukraine announced that it had shot down 31 Russian missiles targeting kyiv at dawn on Thursday. Several explosions rang out in the early morning in the center of the capital, after an air alert for missiles and drones launched by Russia. The mayor of kyiv reported “rocket debris” fallen in certain districts of the capital, notably on a “residential building”and with “cars on fire”, in a message on Telegram. According to the Ukrainian presidency, 13 civilians were injured in several districts of the city.
European agreement on Ukrainian agricultural imports suspended. The agreement reached on Wednesday between EU states and the European Parliament to cap certain Ukrainian agricultural imports from June was suspended a few hours after its announcement, due to opposition from several countries, including France. The agreement concerns Ukrainian agricultural products exempt from customs duties, such as eggs, poultry, oats, corn and even honey, but not wheat.