Did you miss the latest events on the war 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.
The fact of the day
It was an indirect consequence of the conflict in Ukraine and it had been disrupting road traffic in the area for two months. This Tuesday, Polish carriers, who have been blocking the border with Ukraine since November to denounce unfair competition from Kiev, announced that they were suspending their movement. “We have this agreement, the agreement expected not only by Polish carriers but also by a good number of entrepreneurs in Poland, by the European Commission and in Ukraine,” Dariusz Klimczak, Polish Minister of Infrastructure, told the press after having signed an agreement with the representatives of the strikers.
“The protests will stop until March 1,” he assured. This agreement “does not mark the end of the dialogue, on the contrary, it opens very intense discussions which must lead to very specific solutions with a view to achieving […] everything that the carriers ask for,” pointed out the Polish minister.
Today’s statement
Ukraine could suffer an irreparable and very serious blow. »
Vladimir Putin made this threatening statement on Tuesday. The Russian president assured that the Ukrainian state risked suffering an “irreparable blow” in the event of a prolongation of the conflict, believing that the initiative on the front was now “entirely” in favor of Moscow’s forces. “Not only has their counter-offensive failed, but the initiative is entirely in the hands of the Russian armed forces. If this continues, Ukraine’s statehood could suffer an irreparable and very serious blow,” Vladimir Putin said during a meeting broadcast on television.
“Putin is a predator who is not satisfied with frozen products,” declared Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday at the Davos summit, considering that Putin will not be satisfied with a conflict that gets bogged down.
The number of the day
Five missing and three injured. This is the result of the Russian bombings which left at least three injured Monday evening in New York (yes, you are not dreaming), a small town in eastern Ukraine. Five other people are still under the rubble of the affected buildings, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. On Monday evening, the Russian army attacked this town, located in the Donetsk region, using guided bombs, the ministry said. Six three-story buildings and five houses were damaged according to authorities.
Today’s trend
While MEPs, meeting on Tuesday in Strasbourg, called for a significant strengthening of military aid to Ukraine from European countries, the United States assured that they will continue to support the country. “We are determined to maintain our support for Ukraine and we are working very closely with Congress” on the subject, indicated Antony Blinken, American Secretary of State, during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He thanked the Biden administration and the “bipartisan support” in the US Congress. “We are really counting on your support, your continued enormous support,” he said. He notably mentioned the American Patriot system, which helped Ukraine in its air defense against Russian missile attacks. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has already sent some $44 billion in military aid to Ukraine, plus several billion dollars in assistance and economic support.