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3:50 p.m. : Sustainable security in Europe is not “possible only with Russia” and cannot be obtained once morest it, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow. “It is clear to all Europeans that lasting security cannot be achieved once morest Russia, but (is) possible only with Russia” he said at a joint press conference with Vladimir Putin.
15h44 : Olaf Scholz, for his part, considered, during the same press conference, that the announcement of the withdrawal of Russian troops constituted “a good sign” and that diplomatic efforts to avoid conflict are “far from exhausted”.
15h44 : Russian President Vladimir Putin says he wants “continue to work together” with the West on European security to defuse the crisis around Ukraine. “We are ready to go on the path of negotiation” , he stressed, during a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Russia does not want “of cours” not a war, he asserted.
14h54 : The announcement of the withdrawal of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine must be “followed by facts”warned the head of German diplomacy, Annalena Baerbock. “So far there have only been announcements and these must now be followed by facts, because we need trust, we need security for all citizens here at home in Europe” she added during a press conference.
14h45 : Ukraine is preparing for the possibility of a Russian invasion and the inhabitants of the capital are organizing themselves. In the event of an air attack, they can seek refuge in one of the city’s 5,000 bomb shelters. Report in one of them.
14h39 : With a little delay, it’s time to take stock of the news of the day.
• The Kremlin has confirmed the start of a withdrawal of Russian forces stationed near the borders of Ukraine, citing a “normal process” and denouncing “hysteria” West on a supposed imminent invasion of this country by Moscow.
• The government spokesman, Gabriel Attal, confirmed, in a press briefing following the Council of Ministers, the choice of the executive to apply its timetable for lifting the restrictions. Follow our live.
An eighth victim was extracted from the rubble following a fire in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, according to the public prosecutor of Perpignan, Jean-David Cavaillé.
• The trial of Nordahl Lelandais continues in Isère. Psychological and psychiatric experts are currently heard on the personality of the accused. Here is a story from the assize court.
13h28 : Moscow has sent signals of its willingness to dialogue, but NATO does not see for the moment “no sign of de-escalation” on the ground with the maintenance of armaments on the borders with Ukraine, declared its secretary general Jens Stoltenberg during a press conference.
12h41 : Russian deputies asked Putin to recognize the independence of the pro-Russian separatist territories of Donetsk and Lugansk. A resolution to this effect was adopted in the Duma, while these two self-proclaimed people’s republics in eastern Ukraine have been led by pro-Russians since 2014. The explanations in this article.
12h51 : It is noon, here is a new summary of the news:
• The Kremlin has confirmed the start of a withdrawal of Russian forces stationed near the borders of Ukraine, citing a “normal process” and denouncing “hysteria” West on a supposed imminent invasion of this country by Moscow.
• Emmanuel Macron is holding a new health defense council today, on the eve of a major lifting of restrictions. Follow our live.
• After the explosion and the fire which caused the death of seven people in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, “we have elements that lead us to think of a criminal lead”said the public prosecutor of Perpignan, Jean-David Cavaillé, who mentioned an investigation “complex”.
• The four French biathletes Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Simon Desthieux and Quentin Fillon Maillet finished second in the men’s relay. After a hotly contested race, the Blues took the silver medal behind the Norwegians.
• The trial of Nordahl Lelandais continues in Isère. Psychological and psychiatric experts are currently heard on the personality of the accused. Here is a story from the assize court.
11h27 : Ukraine and the West succeeded in preventing a “escalade” Russian, welcomed the head of Ukrainian diplomacy Dmytro Kouleba, shortly following the announcement of the start of a Russian military withdrawal from the outskirts of Ukrainian territory. For him, however, it is still too early to see a real drop in tensions in this crisis which has shaken Europe since the end of 2021.
11h00 : “The announcement is partial, it only concerns the soldiers who come from the closest garrisons. Nothing is said regarding those who come from further away and whose massive presence we had observed at the Ukrainian border”adds the correspondent of France Télévisions in Moscow.
10h57 : While Russia has announced the return of soldiers deployed at the border in their garrisons, our correspondent on the spot provides some clarifications. “It’s a timid speech of appeasement”, according to Luc Lacroix. However, he invites “wait to see the effectiveness of the return to the garrisons”.
10h14 : The European Parliament has just validated new financial support from the EU to Ukraine. Amounting to 1.2 billion euros, this support should help the country, threatened with war with Russia, to meet its financial needs. According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU has already mobilized “17 billion euros in grants and loans” for Ukraine since the start of the conflict in 2014.
09h52 : “The units of the Southern and Western military districts, which have completed their tasks, have already started loading on the means of rail and road transport and will start returning to their garrisons today”announced the spokesman of the ministry, Igor Konashenkov, quoted by the Russian news agencies.
09h27 : Russian forces deployed for weeks near the Ukrainian border have begun to return to their garrisons, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced, as Westerners feared an imminent military operation.
09h10 : It’s 9 a.m., here’s a new point on the news:
• Superb silver medal. The French biathletes came second just behind Norway in the men’s relay. Quentin Fillon Maillet thus won his fifth medal in Beijing.
• The West and Moscow have spoken of a chance for a diplomatic outcome to avert the risk of a war in Ukraine, the United States believing that Vladimir Putin had not taken his “final decision” on the outbreak of an invasion. Follow our live.
• After the death of 27 migrants in the English Channel on November 24 at dawn, the maritime prefecture of the Channel had always claimed to have learned of the sinking only at 2 p.m. But Radio France’s Investigation Unit revealed this morning that some of these migrants had indeed dialed 196, the number of the Regional Operational Center for Surveillance and Rescue, that night, to ask for help.
• Valérie Pécresse yesterday denied supporting the conspiracy thesis of the “great replacement”, pillar of the program of her far-right rival Eric Zemmour. On RTLshe stated that she “[savait] that another way is possible”.
07h41 : German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has asked Moscow to “withdraw troops” from the border with Ukraine. “The situation can degenerate at any time” and “we must use all opportunities for dialogue to reach a peaceful solution”, she said. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in Moscow today.
06h04 : Here without further delay a first point on the news:
• Tess Ledeux, already vice-champion in big air skiing at the Olympic Games, placed seventh this morning in the slopestyle final, won by the Swiss Mathide Grémaud. To be continued (on our site) in the morning: the men’s biathlon relay.
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in Moscow today in search of a diplomatic solution to avoid a war in Ukraine. Yesterday in Kiev, Olaf Scholz urged Russia to seize the “dialog offers”while more than 100,000 Russian soldiers are massed on the borders of Ukraine.
• Valérie Pécresse defended herself yesterday from endorsing the conspiracy theory of “great replacement”, pillar of the program of his far-right rival Eric Zemmour. On RTLshe stated that she “[savait] that another way is possible”.
• Seven people, including two children under three, died overnight from Sunday to Monday in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, during a fire triggered by an explosion of unknown origin. Here’s what we know regarding the drama.
