French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit Ukraine “in the coming weeks”, the Élysée indicated on Sunday March 10, following a telephone interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A decision which comes after the head of state replied to Pope Francis that he would “never” surrender to Russia.
Information to remember
⇒ Macron in Ukraine “in the coming weeks”
⇒ Ukraine will “never” raise the white flag, kyiv responds to the Pope
⇒ Putin pins his hopes on a Trump victory
Emmanuel Macron in Ukraine “in the coming weeks”
Emmanuel Macron should go to Ukraine “in the coming weeks”, the Élysée said on Sunday following a telephone interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The President of the Republic initially said that he would visit Ukraine in February, before indicating that this visit would take place before mid-March. The two heads of state “agreed to remain in close contact, in particular regarding the visit of the President of the Republic to Ukraine, which should take place in the coming weeks”, according to a press release from the French presidency.
Following the follow-up meeting devoted to support for Ukraine organized by France on March 7 in Paris, Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed, during this telephone interview, “his desire to continue efforts to quickly set up the coalition on deep strikes, as well as support for the Czech initiative on munitions”, according to the Élysée.
Ukraine will “never” raise the white flag, kyiv responds to the Pope
Ukraine responded sharply to Pope Francis on Sunday, vowing to “never” surrender to Russia in reaction to a call from the sovereign pontiff to have “the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate.” “Russian assassins and executioners do not penetrate further into Europe only because they are repelled by the Ukrainians with weapons in their hands and under the blue and yellow flag” of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his daily video message.
Praising the role of Ukrainian army chaplains, he continued: “This is where the Church should be – with the people. And not 2,500 kilometers away, with virtual mediation between someone who wants live and someone who wants to destroy you,” added Volodymyr Zelensky, without pronouncing the name of Pope Francis.
Arms imports into Europe have doubled, boosted by the war in Ukraine, according to Sipri
Arms imports into Europe have almost doubled over the last five years, amplified by the war in Ukraine, while Russian exports have been halved, according to a Sipri report published Monday March 11. Ukraine has become the world’s fourth largest arms importer and France has replaced Russia as the world’s second largest exporter, behind the United States, reveals the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Over the period 2019-2023, arms imports into Europe jumped by 94% compared to the previous five years, reveals the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Over the period 2019-2023, arms imports into Europe jumped by 94% compared to the previous five years, reveals the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. This increase is largely due to the war in Ukraine, Katarina Djokic, researcher at Sipri, explains to AFP.
Russia: three drones shot down in the northwest
The Russian army claimed to have shot down three Ukrainian drones on Sunday afternoon in northwestern Russia, several hundred kilometers from Ukraine, including one near the large city of Saint Petersburg.
In a press release, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had destroyed a drone around 6 p.m. (3 p.m. GMT) above the Leningrad region, where Saint Petersburg is located, more than 800 km from Ukraine.