The essential
- Emmanuel Macron declared on the sidelines of the NATO summit that the alliance would “continue to deliver defensive weapons to Ukraine”, but ruled out any delivery of tanks and planes.
- NATO will provide Ukraine with protective equipment against chemical, biological and nuclear threats and will protect its forces deployed on the eastern flank against these threats, announced the Secretary General of the Alliance.
- The UN General Assembly adopted by an overwhelming majority of 140 votes on Thursday a new text which “demands” from Russia an “immediate” end to the war.
- The United States announced Thursday new financial sanctions against Russia, targeting the political world, oligarchs and the defense industry.
22:38
This is the end of this live
Thank you for having followed it and see you tomorrow morning so as not to miss anything on the conflict in Ukraine.
20:43
Pro-Russian separatist leader announces arrival in Mariupol
The leader of one of the two pro-Russian separatist “republics” in eastern Ukraine has announced that he has arrived in Mariupol. A video released by the “Ministry of Information” of the separatist stronghold of Donetsk showed Denis Pushilin visiting a humanitarian aid center run by the Russian army and installed in a hangar. However, the veracity of the recording was impossible to verify immediately.
20:15
Pressure is increasing on French companies still present in Russia
19:49
Belarusian opposition leader urges her country’s soldiers not to attack Ukraine
“Our Belarusian soldiers understand that Ukrainians are our brothers and sisters and we don’t want to fight against them,” Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said during a meeting with the Belarusian community in Warsaw. “We don’t want to become enemies,” she added. The Belarusian opposition leader also praised her country’s volunteers who are taking part in the conflict alongside the Ukrainians. “We are very proud of them. They are defending the independence of Ukraine but they are also defending our future”.
19:28
First exchange of prisoners between Russians and Ukrainians
The two belligerents exchanged prisoners on Thursday, according to the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and the Russian human rights delegate. “In exchange for ten captured occupants, we got back ten of our military,” she wrote, saying it was the “first real exchange of prisoners of war” with Russia since the start of its offensive. in Ukraine. In addition, eleven Russian civilian sailors, survivors of a ship that sank in the Black Sea near Odessa, were sent to Russia against the return to Ukraine of 19 civilian sailors captured by the Russians.
19:09
Biden ‘good hope’ China remains neutral
“I think China understands that its economic future will depend much more on its relationship with the West than with Russia. And I’m hopeful she’s not going to get involved” to help Moscow ease the sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, Joe Biden said.
19:08
“Nato has never been so united”, according to Biden
Vladimir Putin “did not think that we could maintain this cohesion. NATO has never, ever been more united than it is today. Putin gets exactly the opposite of what he wanted by invading Ukraine, ”said the tenant of the White House after a NATO summit and a G7 in Brussels.
18:51
US president promises NATO ‘response’ if Russia uses chemical weapons
“We will respond if there is appeal. The nature of the response will depend on the nature of this use,” said Joe Biden.
18:45
From Brussels, Biden says he is in favor of Russia being excluded from the G20
“I raised this issue today, but the decision is up to the G20. And if Indonesia (chairman of the G20) and other countries do not agree, then we should ask that Ukraine be allowed to attend the meetings of the G20”, the group of twenty major world economies, he said. he declares.
18:43
The UN “demands” from Russia the “immediate” end to the war in Ukraine
The UN General Assembly adopted by an overwhelming majority of 140 votes a new text which “demands” from Russia an “immediate” end to the war in Ukraine which began a month ago. In a vote of this Assembly meeting since Wednesday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 140 countries voted in favor, 38 abstained and five voted against, including Russia, Syria and North Korea.
18:40
the G7 will do its utmost to hold Putin “to account”
“We will spare no effort to hold President Putin and the architects and supporters of this aggression, including the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, to account,” the G7 countries said in a joint statement. “The Russian population must know that we have no complaints against them,” they however assured after a meeting held in Brussels.
18:28
Sweden Post suspends letters and parcels to and from Russia
The Postnord postal group has announced the suspension in Sweden of its postal traffic of letters and parcels with Russia, the only way according to it to respect the European sanctions imposed because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
18:14
Canada to increase oil exports
Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources has announced an increase in Canadian oil exports to meet “requests for assistance” from its “allies, who are struggling with shortages” due to the conflict in Ukraine. In 2022, “Canadian industry has the capacity to gradually increase its oil and gas exports by approximately 300,000 barrels per day (200,000 barrels of oil and 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of natural gas) , to replace Russian oil and gas,” Jonathan Wilkinson said in a statement.
18:04
Kadyrov says his troops have taken Mariupol town hall
The leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya, assured that his forces had taken the town hall of Mariupol, a large city in south-eastern Ukraine that the Russian army besieged.
“The guys report by radio that they liberated the Mariupol administration building and raised our flag there,” he said on Telegram, saying that the Ukrainian forces had “abandoned their positions” .
17:55
The Russian economy is in a state of insolvency, according to Macron
“The Russian economy is in a state of insolvency. Russia’s isolation is growing,” announced the French president.
17:51
“I know I can count on the Chinese president”, declares Macron
“President Xi Jinping disapproves of war. China always defends the sovereignty of the people and I want to believe that it will remain consistent with its vision of territorial sovereignty by refraining from supporting Russia. I know I can count on Xi Jinping in this matter, ”delivered Emmanuel Macron. The President of the Republic added that China “as a member of the UN Security Council cannot do anything other than be a mediating power and help us to ensure that all powers return to reason and stability.
17:46
French companies still in Russia must decide for themselves whether or not to leave according to Macron
“I asked French companies, which operate in sectors under sanctions, that they respect what France decides and acts. My position is to let other companies decide for themselves. Renault made a choice, I respect it,” said Emmanuel Macron after a question about the last French companies still present in Russia.
17:41
An initiative against the food crisis
“We are entering an unprecedented food crisis”, recalled Emmanuel Macron, consequence according to him of “serious and irresponsible choices of Russia”. “I wanted, in direct connection with the African Union, to launch an initiative similar to that of ACT-A during the health crisis, which will aim to organize us to overcome this crisis and free up stocks to prevent any risk. for food security,” said the Head of State.
17:35
Strengthen energy cooperation with the United States and Canada
“Europe’s wish is to diversify its gas and oil imports. We have decided to put in place a concerted policy in this area with the G7 countries, which can help us in our strategy. We want to strengthen our cooperation with the United States and Canada,” Emmanuel Macron announced.
17:31
Soon a mechanism for monitoring sanctions
“We have decided within the G7 to set up a mechanism for monitoring sanctions, such as pooling our lists of targeted oligarchs and preparing future decisions”, delivered the President of the Republic.
17:19
After this morning’s summit, the line remains the same, says Macron
“The line remains the same,” said Emmanuel Macron. “NATO will continue to supply defensive and lethal armaments to Ukraine, without being co-belligerent”. On the other hand, he ruled out any shipment to the Ukrainian army of planes and tanks, because according to him this would amount to becoming “co-belligerents”.
17:16
Ukraine has foiled Russian calculations, says Macron
“A month after the outbreak of war by Russia, the Ukrainian people resisted, thwarting Russia’s calculations: a quick victory”, indicated the Head of State during a press conference on the sidelines of the summit of NATO.
16:50
“Very real risk” of chemical weapons use in Ukraine, says Zelensky at G7
“The risk of large-scale use of chemical weapons by Russia on the territory of Ukraine is very real,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address to G7 heads of state and government. .
This warning comes the day after a statement by his American counterpart Joe Biden who deemed that the use of chemical weapons was a “credible threat”.
16:40
UN ‘demands’ ‘immediate’ end to war in Ukraine
The UN General Assembly of 193 states adopted by an overwhelming majority of 140 votes a new resolution which “demands” from Russia an “immediate” end to the war in Ukraine. In a vote of the General Assembly meeting since Wednesday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 140 countries voted in favor, 38 abstained and five voted against. On March 2, in a vote described as “historic” by the General Assembly, 141 countries had approved a first non-binding resolution which “demands that Russia immediately stop using force against Ukraine “. Five states, including Russia, voted against and 35 abstained.
16:39
Catholics called to pray for peace on Friday
Bishops, priests and faithful Catholics are invited on Friday to pray for peace in Ukraine at the invitation of Pope Francis, an approach taken in several dioceses in France. At 6:30 p.m., Bishop Georges Pontier, apostolic administrator of the diocese of Paris, will preside “a mass for peace in Ukraine at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre on the feast of the Annunciation”, a mass “in union with Pope Francis “, indicates the diocese of Paris in a press release. Will be present: the apostolic nuncio in France Celestino Migliore, as well as father Ihor Rantsya, rector of the Saint-Vladimir-le-Grand cathedral in Paris (Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church).