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1:13 p.m. : Is Russian energy giant Gazprom’s decision to cut gas supplies to Germany by 40% via the Nord Stream pipeline just technical, as the company claims? “What happened yesterday is a political decision, and cannot be justified on technical grounds”replied the Minister of Economy and Climate, Robert Habeck, during a press conference in Berlin.
12:16 p.m. : Here is the point on the news of the midday.
• From the tarmac of the NATO base in Romania, in Constanta, Emmanuel Macron assured that the Europeans wanted “the fire ceases and that the discussions resume” with the Kremlin. He is expected in Moldova this afternoon. Follow our live.
• The heat wave arrives in France. Climatologist Christophe Cassou explains what a “feather” of heat is.
An important jihadist leader, Oumeya Ould Albakaye, was captured by French soldiers in Mali, in the border area, the French general staff told AFP.
The philosophy test of the general and technological baccalaureate is coming to an end. High school students were given a choice of two essay topics: “Do artistic practices transform the world?” and “Is it up to the state to decide what is fair?”. The text explanation topic was about the book Essay on the foundations of our knowledge and on the characteristics of philosophical criticism, by Antoine-Augustin Cournot. Follow our live.
11:28 : Moscow claims to have destroyed weapons supplied by NATO to Ukraine near Lviv, announces the Russian Defense Ministry. “Russian Kalibr cruise missiles destroyed an ammunition depot that housed transferred weapons” by the West, especially “M777 howitzers” – 155 mm light guns designed by the American BAE.
10:55 : “We denounce, we sanction, we support the Ukrainians to fight, but have the lucidity to see that we are not waging war on Russia. The only desirable outcome of the conflict is either a military victory for Ukraine , or, at some point, a discussion because the fire will have ceased. (…) I am always struck to see that there is a form of verbal escalation even though we do not draw all the consequences.”
10:51 a.m. : “From day one, France was clear that Russia was the aggressor and that it was waging a war against Ukraine and its people and did not respect the territorial integrity or the sovereignty of Ukraine. We condemned it with great firmness in all international bodies.”
11:21 a.m. : “At some point, when we have helped as much as possible to resist, when, I hope, Ukraine will have won and the fire can stop, we will have to negotiate. The Ukrainian president will have to negotiate with Russia and we Europeans will have to we will be around this table bringing the security guarantees and the elements for what concerns our continent. That is the reality of things.
11:40 a.m. : “But we want to build peace, which means that at some point we all want the fire to stop and talks to start again. We Europeans share a continent and geography is stubborn. At the end of it- here, Russia continues to be there. (…) I never shared the remarks which consisted in saying that today we would make war on the Russian people and that tomorrow we would want to annihilate them.
11:32 am : “We continue to support Ukraine to help it defend itself and to fight, to help it economically and financially, to help it on a humanitarian level. We continue to welcome into the European space refugees fleeing the war. Such is the position of France and Europe.”
11:32 am : “We are committed with our Romanian friends to supporting Ukraine in all its forms. (…) We are continuing the same efforts to ensure our energy independence.”
11:32 am : “Romania is not, for France, a country like the others. (…) On several occasions, Romania was able to count on the fraternity of France.”
10:33 am : “I want to thank our armies. They were reactive, you showed that you were up to it.”
12:11 p.m. : Emmanuel Macron speaks in Romania on the NATO base Mihail Kogalniceanu, in Constanta (on the Black Sea, in the south-east of the country).
10:17 a.m. : “The President of the Republic will speak from the Romanian military base, alongside President Klaus Iohannis, around 10 a.m. (French time), after a review of the troops”announced the Elysée, while the President of the Republic is in Romania before joining Moldova.
11:45 a.m. : “Our only message: we want peace, we want to live as before, not to miss anything and find work.”
In Bakhmut, in the Donbass, the exchanges of artillery fire cause new victims every day among the civilians who have remained there. The latter contest the strategy of the Ukrainian forces consisting in particular in positioning the guns on the outskirts of the cities.
12:13 p.m. : It’s time to take stock of the news.
Guest of franceinfo, Rachida Dati affirmed that Les Républicains resist “through clarity, consistency and local locations”, while his party won 10.4% of the vote in the first round of legislative elections. The Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, is expected in Calvados to lead the campaign for the second round. Follow our live.
• The heat wave arrives in France. Climatologist Christophe Cassou explains what a “feather” of heat is.
• Geneva airport has announced a gradual resumption of flights after complete paralysis due to a computer failure. Of unknown origin for the moment, this problem caused the closure of Swiss airspace for several hours this morning.
• Russia has called on the Ukrainians to stop their “absurd resistance” in Sievierodonetsk and offered a “humanitarian corridor” to evacuate civilians. Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, urged his compatriots to “hold out” in the Donbass.
Beginning of the general and technological baccalaureate with the philosophy test for more than half a million high school students who will work on three subjects of their choice (two essays and a text commentary) provided for within the framework of the new formula, decided by the former Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer. Follow our live.
06:49 : According to the head of the administration of Severodonetsk, Oleksandr Stryuk, “540 to 560 people” have taken refuge in the underground passages of the vast Azot chemical plant in this industrial city in eastern Ukraine. This situation is reminiscent of that of the Azovstal steelworks, which for weeks was the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the port of Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov. Volodymyr Zelensky urged his compatriots to “hold out”. “It is vital to stay in the Donbass“, he added.
06:44 : Russia has called on the Ukrainians to stop their “absurd resistance” in Sievierodonetsk and proposed the opening of a humanitarian corridor today from 5 a.m. GMT (7 a.m. Paris) to 5 p.m. GMT (7 p.m. Paris), said the Russian Ministry of Defense which guaranteed “the safe evacuation of all civilians, without exception”.
09:04 : We begin with the traditional point on the news.
Last night, Emmanuel Macron spoke about the legislative elections: he called for a “solid majority”, in the name of“higher interest of the Nation”. “The boat sinks, Macron takes the plane”, mocked Jean-Luc Mélenchon at a meeting in Toulouse on Tuesday evening.
• Emmanuel Macron arrived in Romania last night to greet the 500 French soldiers who have been deployed there since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, before a support visit to Moldova on Wednesday and a possible delicate trip to kyiv.
• Russia has called on the Ukrainians to end their “absurd resistance” in Sievierodonetsk and proposed a “humanitarian corridor” to evacuate civilians. Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, urged his compatriots to “hold out” in the Donbass.
Beginning of the general and technological baccalaureate with the philosophy test for more than half a million high school students who will work on three subjects of their choice (two essays and a text commentary) provided for within the framework of the new formula, decided by the former Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer.