The essential :
- The city of Mariupol is still besieged by the Russian army and wants to evacuate civilians. The ceasefire scheduled for Saturday has been suspended, as the municipality accuses Russia of willfully violating the truce. At the beginning of the afternoon on Sunday, the evacuation operations were again interrupted. According to the UN, 1.5 million people have fled the country since the start of the conflict.
- The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the opening of several humanitarian corridors and the establishment of local ceasefires, to evacuate Ukrainian civilians.
- Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin spoke at length on the phone on Sunday, the Russian president notably accusing Kiev of blocking the evacuation of Mariupol.
- Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett launched mediation in the conflict on Saturday with visits to Moscow and then Berlin and a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- The UN Security Council will meet urgently on Monday to discuss the health crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. New negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow are also due to take place that day on the Belarusian border.
11:09 a.m. – The Élysée calls for respect for international humanitarian law
France has not asked for the opening of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine to Russia and Belarus, as proposed by Moscow, the French presidency said on Monday, insisting on the need to “respect international law”, in particular in the protection of civilian populations. The day after a telephone conversation between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Poutine, the Élysée recalls that the request of Paris “like the rest of the allies and partners is that the Russian offensive cease”. But “as long as the offensive is underway, because the Russians refuse to put an end to it”, it is necessary “to respect international humanitarian law, the protection of civilian populations and the delivery of aid”, adds the presidency. .
Emmanuel Macron told Vladimir Putin that “this meant that the protection of civilians had to be organized and that humanitarian access had to be allowed”, according to an adviser, recalling “every time that it is Russia which makes the war to Ukraine and not Ukraine which is waging war on Russia”.
10:31 a.m. – Kyiv refuses humanitarian corridors to Belarus and Russia
Kiev refuses the humanitarian corridors to Belarus and Russia proposed by Moscow for the evacuation of civilians from bombed cities, announced Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. “It’s not an acceptable option,” she lamented. According to her, the civilians called by the Russians to be evacuated from the cities of Kharkiv, Kiev, Mariupol and Sumy “will not go to Belarus to then take the plane and go to Russia”.
10:28 a.m. – Russia did not appear before the International Court of Justice
Russia was absent on Monday during the opening of hearings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a procedure initiated by Ukraine, which asks the highest court of the UN to order Moscow to stop its military invasion . “The court deplores the non-appearance of the Russian Federation during these oral proceedings,” said Joan Donoghue, presiding judge of the ICJ, indicating that she had been notified of this absence by the Russian ambassador to the Netherlands, where the seat is the courtyard.
10:14 a.m. – Ukraine: European gas ignites by 60% at more than 300 euros per megawatt hour
The price of natural gas has reached a new all-time high on the European market, as sanctions on Russian energy are discussed by the United States and the European Union in the face of the invasion of Ukraine. Fear of disruptions to exports from Russia, which provides 40% of European gas imports, pushed Europe’s market benchmark, the Dutch TTF, to a new record high of 345 euros per megawatt hour (MWh). Around 9:05 a.m. GMT (10:05 a.m. in Paris), he won 45% to 280 euros.
10:10 a.m. – Nine people killed in bombing of Vinnytsia airport
Nine people were killed Sunday in the bombardment by the Russian army of the airport of Vinnytsia, some 200 km southwest of Kiev, announced Monday the Ukrainian relief. “Monday, at 5 a.m. GMT, fifteen people were cleared from the rubble, including nine people who died: five civilians and four soldiers,” they said on Telegram, adding that “the search continued” to find other possible victims.
Firefighters trying to extinguish the fire at the Vinnytsia airport yesterday, after a Russian cruise missile strike. Nine people were confirmed to have been killed in the strike, including five civilians. pic.twitter.com/wzRC7eWCyl
—Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) March 7, 2022
09:31 – Over 5,000 peace protesters arrested in Russia
At least 5,000 people demonstrating without authorization against the military intervention in Ukraine were arrested on Sunday in 69 cities in Russia, the NGO OVD-Info, which specializes in monitoring demonstrations, said on Monday. This is a number of unprecedented magnitude in a single day, much more than during the wave of protests in early 2021 across the country against the imprisonment of opponent Alexei Navalny. The latter, from his prison, called on the Russians to meet every day in the main square of their city to demand peace in Ukraine, despite the threat of heavy prison sentences.
Some 2,300 people were arrested in Moscow alone on Sunday, and 1,253 in Saint Petersburg, according to OVD-Info. At least 320 of them spent the night at the police station, according to the same source. Actions also took place in dozens of medium-sized cities across the country.
9:16 a.m. – Jordan Bardella: “We have not been soft or tolerant with Russia”
On France Info, Jordan Bardella certified that the National Rally was “like all French people and all Europeans in solidarity with what Ukrainians are experiencing today”. The RN spokesman said he felt “much closer to what is happening today in Ukraine than what may have happened in Syria or Libya”. Previously, the party’s representative, Marine Le Pen, had been accused of pledging allegiance to Vladimir Putin. “We have not been tender or tolerant with Russia,” assured Jordan Bardella, who however specified that a controversial leaflet, featuring a photo of Marine Le Pen and Vladimir Putin shaking hands, will continue to be distributed .
08:53 — Beijing touts ‘rock-solid’ friendship with Russia
The friendship between Beijing and Moscow is “solid as a rock” assured Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday, despite international condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “The friendship between the two peoples is solid as a rock and the prospects for future cooperation are immense,” Wang Pi told reporters, adding that China was ready to participate “if necessary” in international mediation to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
08:43 – Sanctions against Russia: “All options are on the table”, assures Bruno Le Maire
Live from BFMTV, the Minister for the Economy, Finance and Recovery welcomed the “tremendous” economic sanctions taken against Russia: “We still have room for manoeuvre, but we have taken an unprecedented series of sanctions […] All of this is extremely effective.” However, Russia must expect new punishments. “Will we have to go further? All options are on the table. I’m not going to reveal them this morning, because I think it’s good to keep our intentions secret,” added Bruno Le Maire.
08:20 – Emmanuel Macron denies having “asked for humanitarian corridors to Russia”
The humanitarian corridors announced earlier by the Russian army, to evacuate Ukrainian civilians, would be destined for… Russia. Vladimir Putin’s Defense Ministry said the decision was made after a “personal request” from French President Emmanuel Macron. Information completely denied by the Élysée to BFMTV: “The President of the Republic has neither requested nor obtained corridors to Russia after his conversation with Putin. The President of the Republic insistently asks to let the civilian populations and to allow the delivery of aid. This is yet another way for Putin to push his narrative and to say that it is the Ukrainians who are the aggressors and they are the ones who offer asylum to all.”