Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on August 23, 2022 in kyiv (AFP / Dimitar DILKOFF)
The United States on Tuesday accused Russia of wanting to intensify its bombardments in the country, and France called for having “no weakness” once morest Moscow in this conflict which will enter its seventh month on Wednesday.
The tone also rose in Russia, where the head of diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, declared that there would be “no mercy” for the murderers of the daughter of a pro-Kremlin ideologue killed on Saturday by the Ukrainians according to the Russian security services.
The American embassy in Ukraine published in the morning an alarmist message warning that Russia might intensify its bombardments “over the next few days”, and called on American citizens to leave the country “now”.
Since the withdrawal of Russian forces from around kyiv in late March, the bulk of the fighting has been concentrated in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow slowly gained ground before the front froze, and in the south , where the Ukrainian troops say they are carrying out a counter-offensive, which is also very slow.
Russia, however, continues to regularly target Ukrainian cities with long-range missiles, though rarely targeting the capital Kyiv and its surroundings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his part estimated on Tuesday that there was “every day” a threat of new Russian strikes on kyiv.
“They are targeting infrastructure or government buildings as a priority,” on the first day of the invasion, he said at a press conference. “This is what Russia does all the time,” added Mr. Zelensky while promising a “powerful response” in the event of strikes.
– “Long-term” European support –
The Ukrainian president spoke with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, who arrived in kyiv as part of the “Crimean platform”, an initiative bringing together the main states supporting Ukraine and which already existed before the invasion of the country by the Russia on February 24.
Map of the situation in Ukraine as of August 23 at 8 a.m. GMT (AFP /)
Mr. Duda intends to continue to help kyiv, including politically by helping to “persuade other countries” to support the Ukrainians, and called for tougher sanctions once morest Moscow, explained his services.
Poland is among the most unconditional supporters of Ukraine and the greatest critics of Russia within the EU, when other countries such as Germany or France display positions that are sometimes more measured and criticized by kyiv. .
French President Emmanuel Macron raised his voice on Tuesday by urging the international community to show “no weakness, no spirit of compromise” in the face of Russia”, in a video message to the “Crimea platform” summit.
Ukrainian volunteers prepare a mortar on the frontline in the Donetsk region on August 22, 2022 (AFP/ANATOLII STEPANOV)
The Europeans are ready to support Ukraine’s “combat” “over the long term”, he added to the attention of President Zelensky.
In their summit addresses, other Western leaders continued to strongly condemn the Russian invasion.
“We will never recognize any attempt to change the status of any part of Ukraine,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
– Trials of prisoners of war –
“We must continue to provide Ukraine with all necessary (economic, military, etc.) aid until Russia ends this war and withdraws its troops from all over Ukraine,” the Prime Minister added. British Minister Boris Johnson.
A Ukrainian soldier in an underground shelter near the frontline on August 20, 2022 in southern Ukraine (AFP / BULENT KILIC)
Vladimir Putin is betting on the “reluctance” of Europeans to bear the consequences of war and the unity of member states needs to be “maintained day by day”, underlined the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell , in an interview with AFP.
The UN on Tuesday expressed concern over the possible trials of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Mariupol, captured in May by Russia, stressing that it is “prohibited” to create courts intended solely to try such prisoners.
“International humanitarian law prohibits the establishment of tribunals intended solely to try prisoners of war,” said a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani.
Ukrainian volunteer fighters rest in a shelter on the frontline in the Donetsk region on August 22, 2022 ( AFP / ANATOLII STEPANOV )
Ukraine has accused Moscow of organizing massive illegal adoptions of Ukrainian children transferred from occupied areas to Russia.
“Russia continues to kidnap children from Ukrainian territory and arrange their illegal adoption by Russian citizens,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
– “Dead at the front” –
In Russia, several hundred people gathered in Moscow on Tuesday for the funeral of Daria Douguina, the daughter of a pro-Kremlin ultranationalist ideologue and writer, killed on Saturday evening in the explosion of her car.
Daria Douguina, a 29-year-old journalist and political scientist, was like her father, Alexandre
Douguine
a fierce supporter of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
“It was a barbaric crime for which there can be no forgiveness (…). There can be no mercy for the organizers, the sponsors and the performers”, reacted the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov.
Russian ultranationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin in front of the coffin and portrait of his daughter Daria, killed in an attack, on August 23, 2022 during a farewell ceremony in Moscow (AFP / Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)
“She died at the front for the nation, for Russia. The front is here,” said Dougin in a trembling voice, his eyes darkened.
The Russian security services (FSB) said on Monday that the attack was planned and carried out by Ukrainian intelligence services.
Ukraine has denied it in its entirety, and in return accused Russia of having committed this crime in an attempt to remobilize public opinion, according to it, which is less and less favorable to the war.
