Westerners will announce on Thursday “new sanctions against Russia and strengthen” those that already exist, announced the White House, Tuesday, March 22. Washington also assured that the United States had no “not seen China supplying military equipment to Russia” since President Joe Biden’s recent exchange with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, while assuring that Washington “continued to watch” such potential actions by Beijing. Franceinfo summarizes what to remember from the developments of the day.
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TotalEnergies will stop buying Russian oil and petroleum products by the end of the year
Under fire from critics, TotalEnergies announced on Tuesday that it would cease all purchases of Russian oil or petroleum products by the end of 2022. “Given the deterioration of the situation in Ukraine and the existence of alternative sources to supply Europe, TotalEnergies has decided unilaterally to no longer conclude or renew contracts for the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products, in order to stop all its purchases of Russian petroleum and petroleum products as soon as possible and no later than the end of 2022”assured the company in a communicated (in English).
26,000 Ukrainians entered France
The reception of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine is organized on French soil. “To date, 26,000” arrivals of Ukrainians “have been recorded on entering French territory since the end of February to join family, friends or to go to other countries”, said Jean Castex on Tuesday at the end of an interministerial crisis unit at the Ministry of the Interior. At the same time, 10,500 temporary residence permits have been issued, the Prime Minister added.
Humanitarian alert in Mariupol
Mariupol in southern Ukraine was hit by two “superpower bombs”, said the municipality without being able to give an assessment. Some 200,000 civilians are still stuck in the major port city, where Russian tanks entered after weeks of shelling. The humanitarian situation there is “extremely serious”according to the UN, with “a critical and life-threatening shortage of food, water and medicine”. For the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, “what is happening in Mariupol is a major war crime”.
Volodymyr Zelensky ready to make concessions
In an interview with several media, the Ukrainian president declared himself ready to do anything to “stop the war”, even discuss with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin if he agrees to negotiate directly with him. Volodymyr Zelensky is willing to discuss Crimea and Donbass in particular. It would first be necessary to “security guarantees”he added, warning that Ukraine would be “destroyed” before surrendering. The Kremlin judged for its part on Tuesday that the ongoing talks with kyiv were not enough “substantial”.
At least five dead in attack near Donetsk
A Russian attack on the town of Avdiivka, near Donetsk (eastern Ukraine), left at least five dead and 19 injured on Monday evening, Lyoudmila Denisova, human rights officer at the Ukrainian Parliament, said on Tuesday. . According to the same source on Telegram, Avdiivka was “the target of artillery fire and aerial bombardment [russes]completely destroying the city”.