Did you miss the latest events on the tensions in Ukraine? Do not panic, 20 minutes takes stock for you every evening at 7:30 p.m. Who did what ? Who said what? Where are we ? The answer below:
news of the day
On the 60th day of war in Ukraine, the UN, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and even the Pope all called for a truce this Sunday. The UN has called for an “immediate” truce in Mariupol, a martyr city and a field of ruins, to allow the evacuation of some 100,000 civilians still stuck in this Ukrainian port almost entirely controlled by the Russian army, in a press release from its coordinator in Ukraine. “There needs to be a pause in the fighting right now to save lives. The longer we wait, the more lives will be at risk. They must be allowed to evacuate now, today. Tomorrow will be too late,” said Amin Awad.
Relaying calls for a truce from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, presidential adviser Mikhaïlo Podoliak also called on Twitter to set up a “real truce in Mariupol for Easter (Orthodox)” and “a humanitarian corridor” to allow the evacuation of some 100,000 civilians still trapped in the city.
Usually, the Easter weekend gives rise to large gatherings in the night from Saturday to Sunday. But the Ukrainian authorities have called on the faithful not to participate this year, and to respect the curfews. For his part, Pope Francis once again called for a truce in the fighting in Ukraine and an end to attacks against “exhausted populations”.
The number of the day
300,000. This is the number of Ukrainians who have been evacuated through humanitarian corridors since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. There is no overall civilian casualty toll. In Mariupol alone, the Ukrainian authorities speak of 20,000 dead, due to the fighting but also to the lack of food, water and electricity. Figures to be taken with caution.
sentence of the day
Save all Ukrainians »
These are the words, launched Sunday in the form of a prayer, by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who called for the judgment of God in a speech on the occasion of the Orthodox Easter holiday. “Don’t forget Boutcha, Irpin, Borodyanka, Gostomel,” he added, listing like a litany a series of other place names where kyiv accuses Russian forces of atrocities against civilians.
The trend of the day
As the war entered its third month, fighting continued on Sunday in eastern and southern Ukraine, Kharkiv (northeast), Ukraine’s second city, is still “partially blocked” by the Russians, who continue to bombard it, according to the Ukrainian general staff. The Russian army, for its part, said it had carried out missile strikes against nine Ukrainian military targets, including four ammunition depots south of the Kharkiv region. Moscow also said it carried out airstrikes against 26 targets, and 423 artillery strikes.
In the Donbass basin, Russian troops have “intensified their offensives” in three directions, according to kyiv: Severodonetsk, de facto capital of the Lugansk region under Ukrainian control, Popasna, about fifty kilometers further south, and Kurakhikva, near from Donetsk.
For his part, the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken and the American Minister of Defense Llyod Austin were expected in kyiv this Sunday evening to discuss arms deliveries to Ukraine. This is the first visit by American leaders since the start of the conflict on February 24. It comes after those of several European leaders in recent weeks.
As for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, he is expected tomorrow, Monday, in Turkey, a country which is trying to mediate in the conflict in Ukraine, before going to Moscow and then kyiv. An “erroneous” chronology according to Volodymyr Zelensky, who believes that he should have gone to kyiv first.