After twenty-three days of conflict, clashes continue in Ukraine. Friday, March 18, Lviv airport located near the Polish border was the target of a missile attack. US President Joe Biden will meet in the early afternoon with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. While Beijing is a historic ally of Moscow, Joe Biden threatens China in the event of direct assistance.
► Russian missiles fired at Lviv airport, 27 dead in the east of the country
A Russian attack occurred on Friday in the airport district of Lviv, a large Ukrainian city near the Polish border. “Several missiles hit an aircraft repair factory. The building was destroyed by gunfire. The operation of the plant had been suspended before, so there are no casualties at this time,” said the mayor. According to local sources, the area was hit by four Russian cruise missiles fired from the Black Sea, several hundred kilometers away. So far, no casualties have been reported.
The major city of Lviv, spared from the fighting so far, was bombed for the first time last Sunday. The Russian strikes had targeted a Ukrainian military base, causing the death of at least thirty people.
→ REREAD. In Ukraine, experts and investigators on the trail of war crimes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday implored Westerners to help “stop this war”, when a Russian strike killed at least 27 people in the east of the country. The perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine will have to ” accountable “ before international justice, for their part warned the G7 foreign ministers in a joint statement, stressing that the “evidence gathering” was in progress.
►Joe Biden warns China in case of support for Moscow
US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have scheduled talks early in the afternoon at 2 p.m. about the war in Ukraine. As of Thursday, the tone was set by Washington. ” President Biden (…) will make it clear to him that China will bear responsibility for any act aimed at supporting Russian aggression and that we will not hesitate to impose costs on it”said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
→ ANALYSIS. War in Ukraine: China’s diplomatic double game
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, the Chinese communist regime, which shares Russia’s deep hostility towards the United States, has refrained from urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his troops from Ukraine. ” We see with concern that China is considering giving Russia direct military assistance.”warned Antony Blinken.
But China may have already begun to distance itself from Moscow. According to diplomats at the UN, Russia gave up on Thursday evening to hold a vote in the Security Council on a resolution linked to the war in Ukraine, for lack of support from its closest allies.
► Canada offers three years of temporary residence to Ukrainians
Canada, which has a large Ukrainian diaspora, announced Thursday the establishment of a new immigration program. This offers Ukrainian refugees a “special and accelerated way to obtain temporary residence” up to three years. Applicants wishing to use this new one must apply online and provide their biometric data (fingerprints and photo). Ukrainian refugees can simultaneously apply for a free work and study permit.
→ REPORT. Ukrainian refugees: “Now I have no idea what will happen”
According to the UN count released Thursday, more than three million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24. More than half have found refuge in Poland.