Ukrainian forces seemed close to losing Severodonetsk, a strategic city in Donbass, on Wednesday June 1, to the advance of the Russian army. However, the conflict could still last “many months”, according to Washington. For its part, Moscow is trying to cope with the impact of economic sanctions. Here’s what to remember from the day.
Russian gas exports falling, Moscow organizes itself in the face of the embargo
The Russian gas exports fell by 27.6% between January and May 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, the Russian giant Gazprom announced on Telegram on Wednesday. These figures do not take into account the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which includes eleven countries of the former USSR. The group did not give any further explanation on the reasons for this drop.
For its part, Moscow says it is taking steps to “minimize” the impact of the embargo on its oil decided by the European Union. “There is a reorientation [de l’économie russe] which will allow us to minimize the negative consequences”, spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov, told the press, without further details. These words respond to Russian oil embargo decided on Tuesday by the European Union.
Moreover, as the economic pressure is increasing on the country, a potential Russian default has resurfaced. Moscow is finding it increasingly difficult to honor its debts as Western sanctions tighten.
The Kremlin said to ignore the context of the death of the French journalist
The Kremlin said it had no details as to the circumstances of the death of Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff in Ukraine during a bombardment attributed to Russian forces on Monday. “To draw conclusions, you need detailed information about where it took place, under what circumstances, what is the truth, what is not. We have no such information”said the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, before referring to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The war will last “many more months”, says American diplomacy
Ukrainian forces seemed on Wednesday close to losing Severodonetsk, a strategic city in Donbass, to the advance of the Russian army. The war “could end tomorrow, if Russia ended its aggression”but “we don’t see any signs in that direction at this stage”, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said at a press conference on Wednesday. The conflict could last “many months”according to him.
Furthermore, theUkraine gave “insurance” to guarantee that it would not use the new missile systems promised by Washington to target targets in Russia, added the head of American diplomacy. The day before, US President Joe Biden had announced that the United States would “provide the Ukrainians with more advanced missile systems and ammunition that will allow them to more accurately hit key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine”.