The essential :
- On Friday, Vladimir Putin hailed “positive progress” in the negotiations, now almost daily. On Saturday, Volodymir Zelensky, in turn, spoke of a “fundamentally different approach” from Moscow which previously only “set ultimatums”.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday accused the Russian army of preventing the evacuation of civilians from the surrounded towns of Mariupol and Volnovakha (southeast) and of carrying out an attack on the planned route of a humanitarian corridor. On Saturday, he announced that some 1,300 Ukrainian servicemen have already been killed.
- Kyiv, along with Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, Kryvy Rig, Kremenchug, Nikopol and Zaporizhia are the main areas where the Russians are still focusing their efforts, the Ukrainian military said in a statement on Friday. Russian forces are tightening the noose on Kiev on Saturday and are continuing to bombard other Ukrainian cities without respite, hitting several hospitals in Mykolaiv and a mosque in the strategic port city of Mariupol, devastated by two weeks of siege.
- The mayor of Melitopol, a besieged city, was allegedly kidnapped by Russian forces after a refusal to cooperate, accuse the Ukrainian parliament and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- The boss of the Russian space agency Roscosmos has indicated that international sanctions could cause the downing of the International Space Station.
5:25 p.m. – When 6,000 Ukrainians signed up with France
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5:10 p.m. — Zelensky hails Moscow’s new ‘fundamentally different approach’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on Saturday of a “fundamentally different approach” from Moscow, which previously only “set ultimatums” in its talks with the Ukrainians, during a press conference in Kiev. Asked about statements Friday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had mentioned “advances” in the Russian-Ukrainian talks, the Ukrainian president said he was “happy to have a signal from Russia”.
During the last discussions, “we started talking”, and Moscow “no longer simply issues ultimatums”, which constitutes “a fundamentally different approach”, added the Ukrainian president.
4:30 p.m. – Paris denounces the “lies” of Moscow
Vladimir Putin’s accusations of “flagrant violations” of humanitarian law by Ukrainian forces are “lies”, reacted the Elysee following a new exchange on Saturday between Russian President Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, according to the Elysee. During this hour and a half phone call, the French President and the German Chancellor again called on Russia for “an immediate ceasefire” and to “raise the siege” of Mariupol where the situation is ” humanly unsustainable”, indicated the French presidency.
4:17 p.m. – Zelensky mentions “about 1,300” Ukrainian soldiers killed
“About 1,300” Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday at a press conference in Kiev. This is the first time since the start of the conflict that the Ukrainian authorities have provided an assessment. On March 2, the Russian army announced that it had lost nearly 500 soldiers, a report that it has not updated since.
He claimed that the Russian army had lost “about 12,000 men”. It’s “a ratio of one to ten, but that doesn’t make me happy,” he said. On March 2, the Russian army, which committed some 150,000 soldiers to the battle, announced that it had lost nearly 500 soldiers. But she hasn’t provided any new numbers since.
3:38 p.m. – Warsaw will provide an allowance to Poles hosting Ukrainian refugees
The Polish state will compensate the expenses of families hosting Ukrainian refugees at the rate of 40 PLN (8 euros) per day and per person, Deputy Interior Minister Pawel Szefernaker announced on Saturday. This allowance will be paid at the request of the interested parties, a posteriori, in other words at the end of the reception period, which can reach a maximum of two months, he specified during a press conference. These two months of stay should “allow the Ukrainian citizen to decide what he intends to do in Poland”, said Mr. Szefernaker.
Reimbursement requests, which must include information on the people accommodated, can be submitted from March 16. The allowance will be retroactive and will relate to the period starting with the arrival of the refugees, added the senior official. If, at the end of the two months, the Polish family takes in other refugees, they can apply for this allowance again.
3:12 p.m. – The Fitch agency downgrades the rating of Gazprom and 27 Russian groups
The rating agency Fitch on Saturday lowered the rating granted to the debt of 28 Russian groups of exploitation of natural resources and estimates that a “default of payment of some sort seems likely”. Fitch downgraded gas giant Gazprom, oil company Lukoil, miners Rusal, Polyus, Evraz and 23 other resource companies from B to ‘CC mostly’, meaning it is ‘likely’ that these companies do not honor their financial commitments.
The ratings of Gazprom and Lukoil had also been downgraded this week by Moody’s, another rating agency, to a level indicating a very high risk of non-reimbursement. For the rating agency, the authorization given by the Russian government to reimburse in ruble the debts contracted with countries which appear on a list of “hostile” countries could compromise the ability of these companies to pay their creditors on time. This list includes, among others, the countries of the European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Monaco, South Korea, the United States, Switzerland and Japan.
3:00 p.m. – Putin accuses Ukrainian forces of “gross violations” of humanitarian law
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday accused Ukrainian forces of “gross violations” of humanitarian law, calling on his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to pressure Kiev to end them. Mr. Putin mentioned, during a telephone call with his two counterparts, “extrajudicial assassinations of opponents”, “civilian hostage-taking” and their “use as human shields”, as well as the “deployment of ‘heavy weapons in residential areas, near hospitals, schools and kindergartens,’ according to a Kremlin statement.
2:30 p.m. – The Premier League withdraws R. Abramovich’s approval as Chelsea manager
The Premier League announced on Saturday that it has stripped Russian Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich of his license to lead the club following the freezing of his assets by the British government. “Following the sanctions imposed by the British government, the Premier League board has removed Roman Abramovich from his role as director of Chelsea Football Club,” wrote the organizer of the English championship.
This decision “has no impact on the club’s ability to train and play matches, in accordance with the provisions of the license granted (to the club) by the government and which will expire on May 31”, the brief statement added. Thursday morning, the British government announced new sanctions against several Russian businessmen, including billionaire Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea since 2003 and whose assets are frozen.
2:04 p.m. – Boris Cyrulnik: “Putin’s speech is a logical delirium”
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1:24 p.m. – Germany hopes to do without Russian oil by the end of 2022
Germany plans to be able to do without Russian coal by the fall and Russian oil almost by the end of the year, its economy minister announced on Saturday. “Every day, even every hour in fact, we say goodbye to Russian imports a little more,” environmentalist Robert Habeck told the newspaper. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
“If we achieve this, we will be independent of Russian coal by the fall and almost independent of Russian oil by the end of the year,” he added. On the other hand, as far as gas is concerned, abandoning imports from Russia is proving more complicated, since Germany does not have its own liquid gas import capacities, although the country is currently working on it. according to the minister.