While Joe Biden demands a trial against Putin, Germany and France expel Russian diplomats and the European Union is considering new sanctions. Update on the situation in Ukraine on the 40th day of the conflict.
Biden calls for trial for Boutcha
US President Joe Biden said on Monday April 4 that he wanted to try Vladimir Putin for “war crimes”, because of the massacre perpetrated against civilians in Butcha, near kyiv. “We have to gather the information to have all the details,” he said, before specifying that for him it was not a genocide. Criticized for having called Putin a war criminal a few days ago, Biden confirmed his statements, believing that the images from Boutcha only confirmed them. “This guy is brutal, he has to be held accountable,” he told the press again.
Germany and France expel Russian diplomats
Germany has decided to expel “a large number” of Russian diplomats stationed in Berlin because of the war in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced on Monday. The head of diplomacy stressed that the employees of the Russian embassy constituted “a threat to those who seek protection with us”. Germany has so far taken in more than 300,000 Ukrainian refugees. Referring to the massacres in Butcha, the minister denounced “the incredible brutality of the Russian leaders and those who follow their propaganda.” Same decision in Paris: a source close to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated at the end of the day that France was going to expel 35 Russian diplomats “whose activities are contrary to (its) interests”.
Berlin takes control of Gazprom subsidiary
The German state will take temporary control of the German subsidiary of the Russian giant Gazprom, because of its “importance for the supply” of energy to Germany, announced the Minister of Economy, Robert Habeck. The federal network agency will become the administrator of “Gazprom Germania” until September 30. The Russian group announced on Friday April 1 to withdraw from this subsidiary without indicating a buyer.
Tense situation in the Donbass
A priority target of the Russian army since the withdrawal from the kyiv region and northern Ukraine, the Donbass is preparing to lead the fight. But the governor indicates that the situation is tense because the civilian population must leave the place as soon as possible. “It’s a gradual process and not an overnight agenda, but it’s going to get tougher, that’s clear,” he said. While 146,000 people have already left the region, nearly 700,000 remain in the area controlled by Ukraine. “If the enemy respected the laws of war, the rhetoric would be different”, explains the governor. “But given the situation, we want as few civilians as possible to stay here.”
EU discusses new sanctions
After the discovery of a large number of bodies of civilians in the kyiv region, the European Union discussed “in urgency” new sanctions to be taken against Moscow. “There is intense work going on on sanctions with the hope of getting a new package adopted on Wednesday or Thursday,” said a European diplomat. The unanimity of the Twenty-Seven is necessary for the adoption of new measures.
Russia soon to be suspended from the Human Rights Council?
The United States and the United Kingdom on Monday called for the “suspension” of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, in response “to the images of Boutcha. “We cannot leave a member state which is undermining all the principles that are important to us to participate in the UN Human Rights Council,” tweeted the US ambassador to the United Nations.