A possible truce “in the coming weeks” according to Emmanuel Macron, Russia which says it is open to European participation in the settlement of the conflict … After more than three years of war, the allies of Ukraine take on timidly hoping for a turning. On Monday in Washington, the French president tried to influence the position of his American counterpart Donald Trump, warning against an agreement which would be equivalent to the “capitulation” of kyiv. A new meeting between Russian and American diplomats is scheduled for the weekend, according to Moscow, after that of February 18 in Saudi Arabia of the foreign ministers of the two countries, Sergei Lavrov and Marco Rubio.
Info to remember
⇒ At the UN, the United States vote with Russia, refusing to support Ukraine
⇒ Emmanuel Macron thinks that a “truce” is possible in the “weeks to come”
⇒ Vladimir Putin claims that Europeans “can participate” in the settlement of the conflict
9:00 am
Air alert throughout Ukraine
An air alert is in force throughout Ukraine this Tuesday morning and cruise missiles are headed for kyiv, the authorities announced. “The air alert continues. Stay in the shelters until the danger has passed,” the military administration of the kyiv region said on Telegram.
08:30
In the UN, the United States vote with Russia
The United States of Donald Trump allied on Monday in Russia during unprecedented votes at the UN on the Ukrainian conflict: the Security Council adopted with the support of Moscow an American resolution asking for a quick peace in Ukraine but without Reference to the territorial integrity of the country, despite the objections of the European allies of kyiv.
“We are proud that the Security Council” adopted “a historic agreement, a milestone, the first in three years,” praised the acting American ambassador Dorothy Shea, while the council was paralyzed until then on this file by the Russian veto right. “This resolution represents a path to peace”, “it is not a peace agreement that costs anything,” she also justified.
The four members of the EU (France, Slovenia, Greece, Denmark) and the United Kingdom abstained. “This war is illegal, a clear violation of the UN Charter and a threat to the founding principles of the United Nations. No one wants peace more than Ukraine, but the terms of this peace have their importance”, commented the British ambassador Barbara Woodward, while her French counterpart Nicolas de Rivière insisted for “a peace which can in no way be synonymous with capitulation of attacked “.
08:15
Emmanuel Macron thinks that a “truce” is possible in the “weeks to come”
In an interview with Fox News after meeting Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, visiting Washington, said on Monday that a “truce” in Ukraine could be concluded “in the coming weeks”. “The scheme should be as follows: negotiations between the United States and Russia and between the United States and Ukraine,” he said, welcoming Donald Trump’s announcement of the possible next visit to Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the White House. “If it is not respected, it will be the best proof that Russia is not serious,” said the French president.
During his meeting with his counterpart, Emmanuel Macron tried to influence the position of the United States, which has been growing in recent weeks for a quick agreement, warning against a “capitulation” of kyiv. “We want a quick deal but not an agreement that is fragile,” he said at a joint press conference.
08h00
Vladimir Putin claims that Europeans “can participate” in the settlement of the conflict
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Europeans could “participate” in the conflict settlement process in Ukraine, while the EU fears to be marginalized since the start of direct talks between Moscow and Washington.
“Europeans, but also other countries, have the right and the possibility of participating. And we respect this,” said Vladimir Putin during a television interview. He stressed that it was the European countries that broke up with Russia after the start of its assault against Ukraine three years ago. “They themselves refused all contact with us, with all kinds of eccentric ideas to defeat Russia on the battlefield,” he said. “Their participation in the negotiation process is necessary. We have never refused,” he added.
The Russian leader also described as “toxic figure” Volodymyr Zelensky, repeating some of the strong criticisms formulated last week by Donald Trump towards the Ukrainian president. Vladimir Putin thus accused his Ukrainian counterpart of “giving ridiculous orders” to his soldiers, leading to “unjustified, even very high or catastrophic losses for the Ukrainian army”, and to be “a factor of decomposition of the army, society and the state “.