I’Eastern Ukraine experienced new bombardments on Friday, the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists accusing each other of using heavy weapons, a resurgence of violence which feeds fears of Russian invasion. The dialogue of the deaf also continued between the United States, which now fears an attack from Ukraine “in the coming days”, and Russia, which sweeps away these accusations.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke on the phone with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu, to whom he appealed for “de-escalation” as tensions around Ukraine are at their height. The head of the Pentagon “called for de-escalation, the return to their bases of the Russian forces that surround Ukraine and a diplomatic solution”, specifies a press release from the American Department of Defense. Russian President Vladimir Putin noted on Friday a deterioration in the situation in eastern Ukraine at war. “We are seeing a worsening of the situation,” said Vladimir Putin, after negotiations in Moscow with his Belarusian counterpart and ally Alexander Lukashenko.
For his part, Emmanuel Macron called for the “cessation” of military acts which “have multiplied” in eastern Ukraine where “Russian military pressure is not weakening”. “The situation is extremely worrying”, he added, adding that it has made “several victims apparently in recent hours”. “We don’t have proof of Russian military disengagements at this stage,” admitted the French president to the press after the EU-African Union summit.
At midday, the sound of shelling was audible in Stanitsa Luganska, a city in eastern Ukraine under the control of government forces, noted journalists from Agence France-Presse on the spot. The leader of the pro-Russian separatist “republic” of Donetsk, at war with Ukraine, announced on Friday the evacuation of civilians to neighboring Russia, accusing Kiev of preparing an invasion after an outbreak of clashes. “Today, a massive and centralized departure of the population is being organized to the Russian Federation, in the first place, women, children and the elderly must be evacuated,” Denis Pushilin said in a video address published on his Telegram account.
READ ALSOUkraine: according to Washington, Russia is heading for an imminent invasion
In this very tense situation, all eyes were once again on Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose intentions regarding Ukraine remain unclear. Friday afternoon, he receives his Belarusian ally Alexander Lukashenko, with whom vast joint military exercises are underway. Saturday, the master of the Kremlin must supervise maneuvers of his “strategic forces”, including tests of ballistic and cruise missiles.
Biden in videoconference with several leaders
It would be “catastrophic” if the crisis between Russia and Ukraine escalated into war, UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Friday during his opening speech at the Munich Security Conference. brings together many international leaders. “With a concentration of Russian troops around Ukraine, I am deeply concerned about the increased tension and speculation of a military conflict in Europe,” said Antonio Guterres. If that happened, “it would be catastrophic”, he warned, believing that “there is no alternative to diplomacy”.
READ ALSOBHL – What Putin wants. what we must do
US President Joe Biden will hold a videoconference this Friday on the Ukrainian crisis with several European and Canadian leaders and NATO, European sources have confirmed. Participating will be Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau (Canada), Ursula von der Leyen (President of the EU Commission), Charles Michel (President of the EU Council), Mario Draghi (Italy), Jens Stoltenberg (head of NATO), Olaf Scholz (Germany), Andrzej Duda (Poland), Klaus Johannis (Romania), Boris Johnson (United Kingdom) and Emmanuel Macron (France), specified the Élysée.