Zelensky before the United Nations
For the first time since the start of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the UN Security Council directly on Tuesday. He urged the leaders to act “immediately” in the face of the “war crimes” committed by him according to Russia in his country, otherwise the United Nations would only have to “simply close”.
Following this solemn speech transmitted live by video, President Zelensky broadcast very raw images of people killed in Ukraine. He thus called for Russia to be excluded from the Security Council, where its presence as a permanent member makes such a decision impossible in practice. He also pleaded for a reform of the UN system, so that “the right to veto does not mean the right to kill”.
After this statement, the Russian representative to the Security Council, Vassily Nebenzia, replied to the Ukrainian president that his country had “not come to Ukraine to conquer territories”.
Nearly 200 Russian diplomats expelled
After France and Germany on Monday, Italy, Spain and Slovenia in turn expelled Russian diplomats en masse on Tuesday, marking a further deterioration in relations with Moscow.
Nearly 200 Russian diplomats were thus expelled from Europe in 48 hours.
In the process, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, declared persona non grata 19 members of the Russian representation to the European Union because of “activities contrary” to their diplomatic status, an allusion to espionage and disinformation activities.
A fifth round of European sanctions
The European Commission is proposing to once again toughen its sanctions against Russia. The president of the supranational body, Ursula von der Leyen, notably pleaded on Tuesday for the “ban on the import of coal from Russia, worth 4 billion euros per year”. This coal represents 45% of European Union imports.
Brussels is also proposing to toughen existing financial sanctions, with a total ban on transactions with four major Russian banks. The Commission also wants boats controlled or operated by Russian entities or individuals to be banned from European ports, except for a few essential products.
The Brussels proposals are to be discussed by representatives of the Twenty-Seven on Wednesday before a meeting of European foreign ministers on Monday. Sanctions require unanimity.
Poland is getting ready
Poland on Tuesday signed the purchase of 250 American Abrams battle tanks, its Ministry of Defense confirmed.
This purchase estimated at 4.75 billion US dollars is part of an effort to strengthen the Polish army in order to deter possible Russian aggression on the country’s border.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, 5000 American soldiers have been sent to Poland to “reassure the NATO allies”.
Bombed out hospitals
Three hospitals in Mykolaiv, in southern Ukraine, “were hit by bombardments” on Sunday and Monday, the non-governmental organization Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), present on the spot, said on Tuesday.
The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandre Senkevich, announced on Monday that 10 civilians had been killed and at least 46 injured in Russian army bombardments on the city during the day.
Russian troops left the Mykolaiv region a few days ago, following a repositioning of the armed forces.
With Agence France-Presse