War in Ukraine | First exchange between the Russian and American Chiefs of Staff

The US and Russian chiefs of staff spoke on the phone on Thursday for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Louise Leduc
The Press

General Mark Milley and General Valeri Guerasimov “discussed several security concerns”, said the spokesman for the American staff, Colonel Dave Butler.

By mutual agreement, it was decided that no details of their conversation would be disclosed.

The US Congress also released Thursday 40 billion dollars for Ukraine.

“We continue to believe that this conflict will last,” a senior official from the United States Department of Defense told reporters on Thursday, quoted by Agence France-Presse.

” When it’s about [Vladimir] Putin, we choose to either pay now or pay it later,” argued Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

Meeting in Germany, the finance ministers of the G7 began Thursday to take into account all the sums that each country can disburse quickly to support the economy of Ukraine and its military effort.

Siege of Mariupol draws to a close

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 1,730 fighters entrenched in the Mariupol steelworks – a symbol among all of Ukrainian resistance – have surrendered since Monday. High-ranking commanders are still on site.

Moscow released images showing cohorts of men in combat gear, some with crutches or bandages, surrendering.

The Red Cross worked to register them as prisoners of war and Amnesty International wrote on Twitter that as such Ukrainians should “not be subjected to any form of torture or ill-treatment”.

At least some were taken by the Russians to a former penal colony in territory controlled by Moscow-backed separatists, and a separatist official said those in need of medical assistance were hospitalized.

On the court and in court

On the ground, the regional governor announced at least 12 dead in Russian bombardments on the city of Severodonetsk, in eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, in Kyiv, on the second day of Ukraine’s first organized war crime trial, Sergeant Vadim Chichimarine, 21, came face to face with the widow of Oleksandr Chelipov, a 62-year-old civilian who he admits having shot dead on February 28 in the north-east of Ukraine.

“Do you have remorse for the crime you committed? asked Katerina Chelipova in a clear voice.

“I know you won’t be able to forgive me, but I still ask for your forgiveness,” he replied.

“But why did you come here? To free us from what? What had my husband done to you? “Reacted the little woman with short hair.

The young man, who faces life imprisonment, said he responded to the “orders” he had received.

A war without a predictable outcome

Basically, summarizes Maria Popova, professor of political science at McGill University, each side can claim to have made gains, but no definitive victory is on the horizon. “The Ukrainians have had some success in the north of the country in repelling Russian troops, while in the south and east the stalemate remains. »

Despite Vladimir Putin’s threatening rhetoric, M^me Popova observes that on the ground, the Russians have at least normal tactical reactions “and are able to agree to withdraw” when that is clearly what military logic requires.

In the British daily The GuardianKeir Giles, author and expert on Russian security issues, observed in an op-ed that Ukraine’s recent military successes “can be explained as much by Russia’s lack of military competence as by Russian military prowess.” Ukrainians”.

While no one knows when and how this war will end, there is already a lot of talk about financing Ukraine’s reconstruction, he notes. “But one question is even more pressing: how can Ukraine’s vital role in global food security be preserved? »

With Agence France-Presse