Friday 29 April was marked by the aftermath of the bombings that occurred in kyiv during the visit of the UN Secretary General. Moscow claimed responsibility for the strikes described as “inhumane” by Berlin.
On the diplomatic field, Vladimir Putin was invited to the G20, which provoked the ire of Washington. Franceinfo summarizes what to remember from this day.
Moscow confirms hitting kyiv
Russia confirmed that it carried out a strike on Thursday with weapons of “high accuracy” against kyiv, during the visit of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. “Russian forces destroyed with high-precision long-range weapons the workshops of the space enterprise Artyom in the city of kyiv”said the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The head of French diplomacy Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned these “indiscriminate strikes”and Germany these “inhuman strikes”, which according to the mayor of kyiv, Vitaly Klitschko, left at least one dead and four injured. A Ukrainian producer of Radio Liberty has been killed, according to this US-funded radio.
Zelensky and Putin invited to the G20
Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced that he had invited his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and confirmed that he had invited the Russian president to the G20 summit in Bali in November. Vladimir Putin has indicated that he will participate.
“The United States continues to believe that we cannot ignore Russia’s participation in the international community or international institutions”, responded the deputy spokesperson for the US State Department. She did not specify whether, because of this invitation, Washington would refuse to go to the summit or not.
US President Joe Biden “publicly expressed his opposition to President Putin’s presence at the G20”declared for his part to the press the spokesperson of the White House, welcoming the invitation of the Ukrainians.
One American killed, two Britons ‘captured’
A 22-year-old American former Marine was killed in Ukraine where he left in mid-March to fight Russian forces, family members said. The Pentagon responded by urging US nationals “not to surrender” in this country.
Two British volunteers were also “captured” by Russian soldiers, the UK-based nonprofit Presidium Network said on Friday.
British soldiers sent to Eastern Europe this summer
About 8,000 British soldiers will take part in exercises in Eastern Europe this summer alongside NATO soldiers, in a “show of solidarity and strength”according to the British Minister of Defence.
Dozens of tanks and 120 armored fighting vehicles will be deployed from Finland to North Macedonia under the long-planned project and boosted since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Antonio Guterres goes to Africa
After visiting Ukraine for the first time since the start of the conflict, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will tour Senegal, Niger and Nigeria from Saturday to Wednesday. A visit that will allow him to highlight the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the African continent, according to the United Nations.