A few days before the second anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky launched this Saturday a new appeal to Western leaders to continue their arms deliveries, while the Ukrainian army has just withdrawn his troops from the town of Avdiïvka, in the east of the country.
His American counterpart, Joe Biden, said he was “confident” about the extension of American aid to Ukraine, currently blocked by the Republican majority Congress.
Information to remember
⇒ Joe Biden wants to “fight” so that the Ukrainians have new ammunition
⇒ The majority of French people favor continued aid to Ukraine, according to a survey
⇒ In Russia, new demonstrations in memory of Navalny despite bans
Putin says Ukraine war is a ‘matter of life and death’ for Russia
In a television interview broadcast this Sunday, February 18, Vladimir Putin assured that “what is happening” in Ukraine is a “question of life and death” for Russia. “For [l’Occident], this is an improvement in their tactical position. But for us, it is our destiny,” he said, according to an excerpt of an interview published on the social networks of the journalist who interviewed him, Pavel Zaroubine.
The Russian president also stressed “the importance”, for Russians and foreigners alike, “of understanding our state of mind” and “how sensitive and important what is happening around Ukraine is for our country” .
Russia claims “total control” of Avdiïvka
Russia claimed this Saturday, February 17, “total control” of Avdiïvka, in eastern Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin of the conquest of this industrial city which was “a powerful defensive node of the Ukrainian armed forces”, according to a press release from his ministry. It is “an important victory”, reacted the head of the Kremlin.
During the night from Friday to Saturday, the Ukrainian army announced its withdrawal from Avdiïvka after months of tough fighting and intensification of Russian attacks with a view to seizing this largely ruined city. Moscow hopes its capture will make it more difficult for Ukrainian bombings on the large neighboring city of Donetsk, the capital of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine for ten years.
Zelensky calls for “vital” aid from the United States
Volodymyr Zelensky launched this Saturday an urgent appeal to his Western allies, primarily Americans, to remedy the “artificial deficit of weapons, in particular artillery and long-range capabilities” in which the country is maintained. This lack “allows Putin to adapt to the current intensity of the war”, deplores Zelensky. After a telephone conversation with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, the Ukrainian president nevertheless declared himself “happy to be able to count on [son] full support.”
Joe Biden, for his part, said he wanted to “fight so that they [les Ukrainiens] have the ammunition they need.” While the Democratic president called Congress’ continued blocking of $60 billion in military aid “absurd” and “unethical,” he said ” confident” in the continuation of American military aid to Kiev. At the White House, the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the town of Avdiivka is explained by the “inaction” of the American Congress. The spokesperson for the Council of national security, Adrienne Watson, called on American parliamentarians to approve this assistance “without delay”.
The majority of French people favor continued aid to Ukraine, according to a poll
According to a Ispos survey for the weekly La Tribune Sunday, published Saturday evening, nearly three-quarters of French people want to maintain (44%) or increase (32%) the delivery of humanitarian materials (medicines, food, etc.) to kyiv. The delivery of French arms to Ukraine should continue (41%) or increase (21%). 38% of respondents are on the contrary unfavorable, this survey reveals. Note that supporters of French military aid are down 10 percentage points compared to June 2023.
Furthermore, the majority of public opinion (70%) approves of the economic sanctions imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, compared to 30% who believe that they should be reduced. As for the reception of Ukrainian refugees in France, 46% of respondents want it to continue and 19% to increase it. Some 35% want this reception to be reduced, or 11 points more than in June 2023, according to the survey.
Ukraine: Russian strike kills at least two people in Kramatorsk
A Russian strike on the town of Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine, hit several homes this Saturday, killing at least two people. Rescuers are looking for a third person who is still under the rubble, the regional governor said.
The last major city in Donbass under Ukrainian control, Kramatorsk is located about 20 kilometers from the front line. Since the start of the war, this city has been the subject of repeated attacks by Russian forces. In April 2022, Kramatorsk station was the target of a bombing which left more than 60 dead.
Russia: new demonstrations in memory of Navalny
Despite arrests during previous demonstrations, on Friday, Russians marched this Saturday in several cities in memory of the Russian opponent, Alexeï Navalny, who died in prison on February 17. At midday, around fifteen Muscovites were arrested by the police during a gathering at the foot of a monument to the memory of Soviet repression, the independent Russian media reported. Sota.
“Don’t give up!”, “We will never forget, we will never surrender, Russia will be free”, could we read on the sheets of paper scattered among the flowers at the foot of the “mourning wall” near Sakharov Avenue, a traditional place for opposition gatherings and a thoroughfare bearing the name of a famous Soviet dissident.
If the state media barely mention the death of the opponent, and the Russian authorities remain silent on the circumstances of his death, they have however warned the population against any demonstration. The courts, for their part, have begun to hand down the first sentences for those arrested at the commemorations, which range up to 15 days of detention, according to human rights organizations.