- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called in a speech on Tuesday evening for Ukrainians to alertness, despite “positive signs” represented by the ongoing talks in Istanbul, Turkey. “The enemy is still in our territory. The bombardment of our cities continues. Mariupol is under siege,” Mr. Zelensky listed, before declaring that “Ukrainians are not a naive people”, believing that “only concrete results” on the ground would make it possible to judge Moscow’s good faith.
- This call for vigilance and keeping the pressure on came as Washington signaled its skepticism as for the Russian announcements. “We will see if they keep their word”said US President Joe Biden, before calling for continued pressure on Russia through sanctions.
- These mixed reactions follow the talks held Tuesday between Russians and Ukrainians in Istanbul, Turkey. Ukraine had said it was ready to adopt a neutral status, in exchange for guarantees on its security, a proposal apparently welcomed by Moscow, which announced “drastically reduce” its military activity on kyiv.
- In an interview at World, Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), speaks about the risks that the war in Ukraine poses to the Atlantic Alliance and announces that France will command the troops in Romania. He also mentions the fear of Russia’s recourse to chemical weapons, which “would have massive consequences”.
- At least twelve people died and 33 others injured in a Russian strike on the building of the regional administration of Mykolaiv (south), a city that has been experiencing a respite in the bombardments in recent days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday afternoon.
- The Ukrainian authorities are concerned about the still dramatic situation in the besieged port of Mariupol. According to an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, Tetiana Lomakina, “about five thousand people have been buried, but people have not been buried for ten days because of the continuous shelling”. She felt that“given the number of people still under the rubble (…) there could be around ten thousand dead”.
- While the American basketball star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since February 17, Washington warns its nationals in Russia of the risk of arbitrary arrests and “the possibility of harassment of American citizens”. The State Department thus renewed its call not to go to the country or to leave it immediately.
Read all our articles, analyzes and reports on the war in Ukraine:
Decryptions. In negotiations as on the ground, kyiv is trying to regain control
Factual. After “substantial” talks in Istanbul, Moscow promises to “radically reduce” its offensive towards kyiv
Testimonials. The diary of two sisters separated by the war in Ukraine: “We want to fall into a deep sleep and wake up when Ukraine has won the war”
Factual. On social networks, these accounts in French which relay the propaganda of the Kremlin
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