On the 71st day of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, bombardments hit the port city of Mariupol while a three-day ceasefire was established on Thursday May 5 to evacuate civilians. On the diplomatic front, France has announced that it will provide an additional $300 million in aid. Franceinfo looks back on the highlights of the day.
UN sends new convoy to evacuate Azovstal
The UN has announced the dispatch of a new convoy to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal factory in Mariupol, the last pocket of resistance to Russian forces in this strategic Donbass port. However, Russian bombardments hit the city despite the ceasefire established for the days of Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Information about the situation in the huge Mariupol steel plant was contradictory. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday night that “the Russian army was always ready to ensure the evacuation of civilians” of Azovstal, who could be another 200 trapped with the Ukrainian fighters in this complex. But the deputy commander of the Azov regiment which defends these installations, Sviatoslav Palamar, assured in a video that “bloody fights” were taking place inside the site itself and that the Russians “did not keep their promise” truce.
France to provide an additional $300 million in aid
France will increase its overall aid to Ukraine to two billion dollars, against 1.7 billion so far, or an additional 300 million dollars, announced Emmanuel Macron, Thursday, May 5, in a video broadcast during the international donor conference. More than six billion euros were raised during this summit, announced the Polish Prime Minister. “Every day we see the humanitarian consequences and the destruction caused by the aggression of Ukraine by Russia and suffered by the Ukrainian people accumulating. They are unbearable”said the French president.
Ukraine appeals for donations to finance the war against Russia
Volodymyr Zelensky announced the launch of an online crowdfunding platform. United24 was created to help kyiv win the war against Russia and rebuild the country’s infrastructure. “With one click, you can donate funds to help our defenders, save our civilians and rebuild Ukraine”said the Ukrainian president in an English video posted on Twitter.
“All funds will be transferred to the National Bank of Ukraine and allocated to relevant ministries”added the President of Ukraine, specifying that reports on the distribution of funds will be published “every 24 hours”. “Only together do we have the potential to stop the war and rebuild what Russia has destroyed”added Volodymyr Zelensky.
Putin apologizes to Israel, says Israeli Prime Minister’s Office
The words of Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, caused an uproar. “Hitler also had Jewish blood”, he had launched. After the controversy, Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for the remarks of his head of diplomacy, according to a press release from the office of the Israeli leader published Thursday, May 5. “The prime minister accepted President Putin’s apology for Lavrov’s remarks and thanked him for clarifying his attitude regarding the Jewish people and the memory of the Holocaust”is it written.