Year of war, day to day. On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, entire cities have been reduced to rubble, parts of the country to the east and south are under Russian occupation, and more than 150,000 people have died or been injured on both sides, according to Western estimates. The conflict has now become long-term, disrupting planetary geopolitics.
“We endured. We are not defeated. And we will do everything to achieve victory this year,” President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday in an address to the nation. “We will never rest until the Russian murderers are punished,” the Head of State vowed before paying tribute to the soldiers at the front and the fallen in battle during an awards ceremony organized on Sophia Kievskaya Square. Cathedral in Kyiv. Wakes were held at the local level, especially in Bucha.
In Moscow, Dmitry Medvedev, the second member of the Russian Security Council, also swore to “win”. We must “extend as much as possible the boundaries of threats against our country, even if these are the borders of Poland,” neighboring Ukraine, he assured.
Westerners Between Hope and Promise
“Freedom”, “victory”, “cruelty”, “dialogue”… In general, there was a tone of solidarity with Kiev in the world. Putin failed to “wipe Ukraine off the map, he is facing a stronger country than ever before,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a moment of silence at the UN Security Council.
“Freedom is not free. We must fight for it every day. Today, it is the Ukrainian people who courageously fight for their freedom,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised that Vladimir Putin “will not achieve his imperialist goals.” “Ukrainians , Ukrainians, France is by your side, for solidarity, for victory and for peace,” wrote Emmanuel Macron.
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was lit up with the colors of the Ukrainian flag on Thursday evening. An ornament that she will keep until February 26th. More than a hundred Ukrainians, representatives of their associations and their supporters prayed on Friday morning in the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr the Great before laying wreaths on the square near Taras Shevchenko.
The ceremony of memory of the dead Ukrainians was held on Friday evening under the Arc de Triomphe. On this occasion, the flame of the monument was lit again. Several hundred people gathered in several French cities, in particular in Paris, on the Place de la République, in Marseille, Toulouse or Rennes, to support the Ukrainian resistance.
In the center of Berlin, Germany, in front of the Russian embassy, the hull of a Russian tank is mounted, the gun is turned towards it. The unusual image attracted many curious people.
US sanctions again
While thousands of economic sanctions have been passed since the conflict began, the United States and G7 members announced one of their “most important actions” this Friday. The measure aims to limit Moscow’s access to sensitive technology such as semiconductors and also targets European intermediaries, particularly from Switzerland, accused of helping Russia circumvent sanctions.
The Polish Prime Minister traveled to Kyiv with the first four Leopard tanks promised by Poland to Ukraine in his luggage, Warsaw reports. And the list of donor countries is growing: following Finland, Sweden announced on Friday that it would supply its ally with about 10 heavy armored vehicles, as well as anti-aircraft systems.
China chose the day of the first anniversary of the conflict to make its position public. In the 12-point document, Beijing calls on Russia and Ukraine for peace talks and rejects any recourse to nuclear weapons. The initiative was welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who plans to meet with his Chinese counterpart soon.
Source: Le Parisien
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
