2023-04-24 22:14:47
A meeting of the UN Security Council, temporarily chaired by Russia, gave rise to tense exchanges on the situation in Ukraine.
While the fighting continues on the ground in Ukraine, the war was also invited to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday, April 24, during a meeting of the Security Council. The presidency of the body, which rotates every month, is occupied in April by Russia. Its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov chaired a meeting on Monday on the “defense of the principles” of the UN Charter, a text which she is accused of having violated by launching her offensive in Ukraine.
At the podium, the head of Russian diplomacy denounced the“hegemony” of the United States, whom he designated as responsible for a “deep crises” United Nations. “By organizing this debate, Russia is trying to present itself as a defender of the UN Charter and of multilateralism. Nothing might be further from the truth, it is cynical“, denounced European Ambassador Olof Skoog, surrounded by representatives of the 27 EU countries. Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, denounced the “devastation” provoked by Russia in Ukraine. Here are the other highlights of the day.
Two ultra-right activists sentenced following returning from Ukraine with weapons
These two men born in 1995 and 1997, known to the French intelligence services, were arrested on Saturday on their arrival in Paris in a bus arriving from Lviv, Ukraine, franceinfo learned from concordant sources on Monday. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, these two men were “in possession of optics and ammunition magazines classified as weapons of war” and declared “having fought in Ukraine”. Tried in immediate appearance for “transporting possession of weapons”, they admitted their guilt and were sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, 9 of which were suspended.
Emmanuel Macron plans to return to Ukraine
“Obviously, I will return in the next few weeks, next months (…) to Ukraine”, declared Emmanuel Macron during a press conference in Ostend (Belgium), on the sidelines of a summit on offshore wind power on Monday. Such a move will take place “as soon as we have defined with the European partners and President Zelensky the right moment”, he detailed, expressing his wish to go there only for “to bring results or at moments that were decisive”. Emmanuel Macron traveled to Ukraine in June, accompanied by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and then Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and hosted Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris in February. Follow our live.
Ukrainian drone fell in Russia, Moscow says
Russian authorities say the aircraft crashed regarding 50 kilometers from Moscow on Monday, causing no casualties or damage. It would be only the second such incident reported in the Moscow region since the start of the offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.
UN offers ‘one way’ to extend grain deal
On the sidelines of the meeting of the UN Security Council, its Secretary General Antonio Guterres gave Sergei Lavrov “a letter for President Vladimir Putin, outlining a proposed way forward to improve, prolong and expand” the agreement which since last July allows the export of Ukrainian cereals via the Black Sea despite the conflict, according to a press release from its services. A similar letter was sent to Ukraine and Turkey, the other two signatories. The agreement was extended on March 19 for 60 days.
Estonia wants negotiations on Ukraine’s entry into the EU in 2023
“We hope that Ukraine will be able to start accession negotiations with the EU this year”, said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, speaking alongside Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Zhytomyr (Ukraine). However, she admitted that it would be “a difficult process” and that Ukraine should “fulfill 100% of the conditions” posed by the EU.
China disavows its ambassador following his remarks on the former Soviet states
A spokeswoman for Chinese diplomacy assured Monday that her country respects the “sovereign status” countries of the former USSR. A reaction to the polemical remarks of the Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, on LCI on Friday: he assured that the former Soviet republics which had become independent had no “no effective status in international law”. A declaration which had provoked strong reactions from the international community.
On Monday, the ambassador was received by the chief of staff of the French foreign minister, Catherine Colonna. He called the ambassador “to use his public speech in accordance with the official positions of his country”said the Quai d’Orsay at the end of this meeting.
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