Macron proposes a “European political community” for countries like Ukraine
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, proposed this Monday to form a “European political community” to which countries like Ukraine can join that share the values of the European Union but that cannot wait for a rapid accession that would also hinder integration.
“The EU, taking into account its level of integration, cannot be in the short term the only way to structure the European continent,” Macron stressed in a speech before the European Parliament during an act that marked the end of the work of the Convention to the Future of Europe which he started a year ago on his own initiative.
He explained that Ukraine “because of its struggle and courage, is already a heart member of our Europe, of our family”, but we must be realistic and “we all know that the accession process (to the EU) will take several years, and in reality several decades”.
The European Commission will give its opinion in June on the accession status of Ukraine
The European Commission will present in June a response to the request for urgent accession to the European Union launched by Ukraine, in an essential step before the case is submitted to the countries of the bloc, the head of the institution, Ursula, announced on Monday. von der Leyen.
“The Commission intends to issue an opinion in June,” Von der Leyen said in a tweet reporting a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky.
Von der Leyen added that in that conversation he informed Zelensky that the Commission expects to receive the questionnaire to be submitted by Ukraine on its candidacy for accession.
Russia ensures that negotiations with Ukraine continue in digital format
Russia assured today that negotiations with Ukraine to end the Russian military campaign in the neighboring country continue digitally, according to Moscow’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinski.
“The negotiations in remote format have not stopped,” the former Minister of Culture told the Interfax agency.
Medinski ruled out that there may soon be new face-to-face meetings with the Ukrainian negotiators, since this would require “more specific things on the table.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed on April 26 to raise the Istanbul peace process to the level of leaders to host a summit in Turkey between the presidents of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Russian ambassador was attacked in Warsaw with red paint
The Russian ambassador to Poland, Sergei Andreyev, was attacked in Warsaw on Monday when a group of people threw red paint at him.
Before the incident, Andreyev held a floral tribute at the Soviet soldiers’ cemetery-mausoleum in Warsaw on the occasion of the Russian national holiday of Victory Day.
Despite the fact that the Russian embassy announced in the morning that it was giving up any public act outside its premises, according to the recommendations of the Polish Foreign Ministry and the mayor of the city, the ambassador and a small entourage decided to go to the cemetery.
A group of people was concentrated there, some of them with Ukrainian flags, and when identifying Andreyev, a group separated from the rest to consummate their aggression.
Russian troops resume assault on Azovstal steel mill after UN convoy leaves
Russian troops have resumed the assault on the Azostal steel plant in the port city of Mariupol after a UN convoy left the Donetsk region, Ukrainian sources said.
“As expected, after the departure of the UN convoy from the Donetsk region, the occupiers began to storm Azovstal. In particular, they tried to destroy the bridge, which was the gate for evacuation. Without success,” Petro Andryushchenko said. , advisor to the mayor of Mariúpol, on Telegram, in a message collected by the Ukrinform agency.
Meanwhile, Svyatoslav Palamar (“Kalina”), his commander of the Azov Regiment, which defends the steel facility, told Channel 24 that the situation is critical for the wounded soldiers due to the lack of medicine.
Ukrainian forces launch several missiles towards the city of Kherson
Ukrainian forces fired several missiles on Monday at Kherson, the capital of the province of the same name in southern Ukraine, which is under the control of Russian military forces as part of the invasion of the country ordered by Moscow, which entered its 75th day today.
Several explosions were heard in the city, a correspondent for the Sputnik news agency reported.
Shortly after, a military source confirmed to that agency that anti-aircraft defenses shot down five rockets in the Chernobaevka area, presumably launched north of Kherson.
Borrell proposes to confiscate Russian reserves to rebuild Ukraine
The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union (EU), Josep Borrell, proposes confiscating Russia’s reserves frozen by the bloc to rebuild Ukraine after the war, in an interview with the “Financial Times”.
“This is one of the most important political questions on the table: who is going to pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine?” the also vice-president of the European Commission told the newspaper.
“I would be very much in favor (of using the reserves) because it makes a lot of sense. We have the money in our pockets and someone would have to explain to me why it can be done with Afghan money but not with Russian money,” he argues.
Putin commemorated the Soviet triumph over Nazism and called for a new world war to be avoided
The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, assured today when commemorating the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in 1945 that his Army is fighting in Ukraine to defend the “homeland” against an “unacceptable threat” posed by its Western-supported neighbor, and asked the planet to do everything possible to avoid “the horror of a new world war.”
“I address our armed forces: you are fighting for the homeland, for your future,” the president said before thousands of soldiers in a brief speech at the traditional May 9 military parade in Moscow’s Red Square, which commemorates the victory Soviet against Nazism.
Regarding his decision to send troops to Ukraine on February 24, he reiterated that the Ukrainian authorities were preparing an attack against the pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, wanted to get hold of the atomic bomb and received the support of NATO, a serious threat for Russia.
“Our duty is to remember those who crushed Nazism (…) and do everything possible so that the horror of a global war does not repeat itself,” he said during his speech in Red Square.
Zelensky says Ukraine will not allow Russia to “own” victory over Nazism
Ukraine will not let Russia “appropriate the victory over Nazism”, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky declared today, on the day Moscow celebrates the victory of the Soviet Union in World War II as one of its main historical dates. .
“We are proud of our predecessors who, together with other peoples in an anti-Hitler coalition, defeated Nazism. We will not allow anyone to annex this victory, to appropriate it,” he said in a video in which he appears walking on the central avenue from Kyiv.
Zelensky listed several cities in eastern and southern Ukraine currently under the control of the invading Russian forces, saying that the Ukrainians during World War II had expelled the forces of Nazi Germany from these regions.
“On the day of victory over the Nazis, we are fighting for another victory, the road to this victory is long but we have no doubts about our victory. We won then, we will win now,” he added, referring to the Russian invasion of his country. which started on February 24.