Ukraine needs $7 billion a month to compensate for economic losses caused by Russia’s war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday (April 21st). “And we will need hundreds of billions of dollars for reconstruction”, he added during a meeting of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington. Franceinfo takes stock of what to remember from this day of war in Ukraine.
>> Follow live the latest information on the situation in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin claims that “the end of Mariupol’s liberation work” is “a success”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ruled on Thursday that his forces had taken control of the besieged Ukrainian city. He informed his Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, that an assault on the Azovstal site, the last pocket of resistance, was not “not appropriate” and that it was necessary to besiege “the area in such a way that not a single fly will pass”.
A claim disputed by US President Joe Biden who felt he “there is no evidence yet that Mariupol is completely lost”. According to Volodymyr Zelensky, in addition to some 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen, “about a thousand civilians, women and children” and “hundreds injured” also took refuge in the Azovstal steelworks.
Evacuations have resumed in Mariupol
Four evacuation buses managed to leave the port of Mariupol on Thursday, announced Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. Wednesdaya humanitarian corridor in principle negotiated to allow the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol had “not worked”, according to the same source. She had blamed the Russians for violating the ceasefire and blocking the buses, while Moscow had accused “the Kyiv authorities for cynically scuttling this humanitarian operation”. HASNo evacuation corridor had been set up in Ukraine since Saturday.
New aid of 800 million dollars for Ukraine
US President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that Washington would release an envelope of 800 million dollars to support the Ukrainian army. “Dheavy artillery weapons, dozens of Howitzer (guns), 144,000 munitions as well as drones” will be sent, he detailed. The United States also intends to provide additional economic aid of $500 million to keep the Ukrainian government functioning, according to a Treasury official.
American and Canadian personalities sanctioned by Moscow
The Kremlin on Thursday banned entry to its territory to 29 American personalities, including the leader of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, and the American Vice-President, Kamala Harris. In addition, 61 Canadian personalities, mostly government or military officials, are also targeted by this measure. These American and Canadian citizens “are banned from entering Russia for an indefinite period”the Russian Foreign Ministry said in two statements.
Spain sends 200 tons of material
Spain will deliver 200 tonnes of military equipment to Ukraine, a shipment that represents double the military aid sent so far by Madrid to kyiv, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Thursday. Ukrainian capital, with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen. They met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.