The head of the Russian occupation of the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, affirmed in the nightwait for good newsof Vougledar, a mining town which had 15,000 inhabitants before the Russian invasion.
“Serious and brutal fights” underway in Vougledar, Belgium which will supply missiles to Ukraine, the EU which extends its sanctions against Russia… Le Figaro provides an update on the conflict in Ukraine this Friday, January 27.
‘Fierce’ battle underway to conquer Vougledar
A battle “fierce“is underway for Vougledar, a city in eastern Ukraine, which Russian forces are trying to conquer, the two camps indicated on Friday, kyiv assuring that Moscow “exaggeratedthe success of his offensive. The head of the Russian occupation of the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, affirmed in the nightwait for good newsof Vougledar, a mining town which had 15,000 inhabitants before the Russian invasion. “The coming encirclement and liberation of the city will solve some things“, he said to the Ria Novosti agency, stressing that a victory would make it possible to “change the balance of power on the frontby paving the way for an offensive towards the cities of Pokrovsk and Kurakhové, located further north. One of his advisers, Ian Gagine, told Tass on Friday that “serious, brutal fights“were in progress and that the Russian forces were “located in the southeast and east of the city“.
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The spokesman for the Ukrainian army for the eastern zone, Sergei Tcherevaty, for his part confirmed “fierce fighting“, but assures that the Russians were repelled. “The enemy indeed seeks to achieve success in this sector but it does not succeed thanks to the efforts of the defense forces of Ukraine“, he said on television. “The enemy exaggerates, to put it mildly, his success“, he added: “in the face of his losses, the enemy retreats“. Ukraine said this week that the outnumbered Russian army had intensified its assaults in the east including on Vougledar and Bakhmout, the latter of which has been a Russian target for months despite heavy casualties. kyiv says it inflicts huge losses on the Russians, but points out that their numerical superiority makes the fighting particularly difficult.
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Macron will continue to “talk to Russia”, also addresses China
French President Emmanuel Macron assured Friday that he would continue to “talk to russia”despite the criticisms it arouses, but also called on China to speak out against the “imperialist war” in Ukraine. “All our countries have a position to hold, that of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity (…) whatever the friendships, the alliances that we can nurture”he said during a reception at the Elysée on the occasion of the New Year of the lunar calendar.
“Some in other times have been able to reproach me for speaking to Russia and I will continue to speak to Russia”added Emmanuel Macron, one of the few Western heads of state to have kept in touch with the master of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022. “But who could defend the possibility of a free and stable international order if we closed our eyes to an imperialist war?”he launched in an allusion in particular to China. “We are all responsible for this order and we must uphold it by simply being clear about our principles“, continued Emmanuel Macron, in front of an audience of economic, artistic and academic personalities linked to Asia.
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Zelensky denounces the “hypocrisy” of the CIO, invites its leader to Bakhmout, on the front
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday denounced the“hypocrisy” of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and invited its leader, Thomas Bach, to visit Bakhmout, one of the hottest points of the war with Russia. “I invite Thomas Bach to Bakhmout so that he can see with his own eyes that neutrality does not exist”launched Volodymyr Zelensky in his daily address, promising to work for “to cleanse the management of international Olympic structures from hypocrisy”.
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Belgium to supply Ukraine with missiles, machine guns, ammunition
The Belgian government announced on Friday the granting of new funding to Ukraine for civil aid and the supply of missiles, machine guns, ammunition and armored vehicles. “These include anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank missiles, machine guns, grenades and many other military equipment that allow Ukraine to continue to defend against invasion” Russian, detailed the Minister of Defense Ludivine Dedonder during a press conference.
On the other hand, Belgium is not in a position to provide tanks, as demanded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ludivine Dedonder explained that there were no more tanks in the stocks of available defense equipment. They were sold ten years ago. The new Defense effort has been valued at 93.8 million euros, bringing total Belgian aid to almost 228 million since the start of the war in February 2022.
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Warsaw will deliver 60 more tanks to kyiv
Poland will deliver to Ukraine, in addition to 14 Leopard 2 tanks of German manufacture, about sixty tanks including 30 PT-91, modernized version of the Soviet T-72, a decision welcomed Friday by the Ukrainian president. “I thank (…) for such important decisions to supply Ukraine with 60 Polish tanks, including 30 PT-91s, as well as 14 Leopards”, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Twitter, two days after Germany and the United States announced to supply heavy tanks to kyiv. On Thursday, the Polish prime minister said in an interview with Canadian television CTV News that Warsaw was ready to “send 60 of our modernized tanks, including 30 PT-91s”. He also repeated that Poland would send “14 Leopard 2 tanks from our stocks, in our possession”.
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EU extends sanctions against Russia for six months
The European Union decided on Friday to extend its sanctions against Russia for six months for the war in Ukraine and is preparing new measures against Moscow. The EU has imposed nine rounds of sanctions on Russia since the military offensive launched on February 24. The measures have included hitting Russia’s main oil exports, cutting off its banks from the Swift global payment system and personally targeting President Vladimir Putin.
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The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell also expressed Friday in Pretoria his irritation about the close relations between South Africa and Russia, in the midst of the war led by Moscow in Ukraine. The continent’s main industrial power, South Africa refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and announced that it would host joint maritime exercises with Russia and China from February 17 to 27. These exercises are not “not the best thing”said Josep Borrell, visiting Pretoria for talks with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor.
An international prosecutor’s office to gather evidence of the crime of aggression committed by Russia in Ukraine can be established “rapidly”in “first stage” before the establishment of a special tribunal, also estimated Friday the European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders. This “international coordination center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression” would be located in The Hague at the headquarters of Eurojust, the EU agency for judicial cooperation in criminal matters, according to the Commission.
Read alsoEuropean Union accuses Russia of ‘geopolitical terrorism’
Moscow asks Latvian ambassador to leave Russia “within two weeks”
Moscow on Friday asked the Latvian ambassador to leave Russia “within two weeks”four days after Riga ordered its Russian counterpart stationed in Latvia to leave the country, amid extreme diplomatic tensions linked to Ukraine. “The Latvian Ambassador, (Maris) Riekstins, has been ordered to leave the Russian Federation within two weeks”the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, lamenting “Total Russophobia” from Riga. According to Moscow, “The full responsibility for the current situation lies with the leadership of the Latvian state”.