"Today we adopted the recommendation to the Council to give Ukraine a European perspective and candidate status for entry into the Union ." This was stated by the president of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen after the meeting of the college .
"Ukraine - he explained - has clearly demonstrated the country's aspiration and commitment to live up to European standards. Ukraine is a very solid parliamentary democracy, boasting an excellent administration. Ukraine has shown to have a solid deficit level before the war, it has already taken important steps towards being a functional market economy. "
Much has been done but much work still remains to be done , but he added: "For example on the rule of law, justice, the fight against corruption and the removal of the power of the oligarchs over the economy".
The decision following the historic visit to Kiev, almost four months after the outbreak of the war, of the leaders Mario Draghi, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis , in which the Italian premier had launched Ukraine's long run towards the finish line in Brussels.
There was also a new surprise visit today from Boris Johnson, who he met Zelensky in Kiev to show British support for Ukraine. BoJo has promised that Britain will train "thousands of Ukrainian soldiers" .
In these hours, a hard thrust by Vladimir Putin against the West has arrived. For the Russian leader "the era of the unipolar world dominated by the United States is over". And Putin himself has once again defined the sanctions on Russia as "crazy and reckless".
Important statements also by Angela Merkel, who for the first time since the beginning of the conflict said she was willing to mediate. But not now. The German Chancellor, one who spoke to Putin, gave an interview to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland: " I do not exclude the possibility of mediating ", he said, specifying however that "the question does not arise at the moment". Putin "must be taken seriously" , he added, recalling that last year he tried unsuccessfully to involve the Russian president in a dialogue
( HERE all the news about the war)
( HERE all the videos of the conflict)
Here is the news by the hour.
Raid in Donetsk, 4 civilians killed
At least 4 civilians were killed and another 6 wounded in Russian raids today in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. This was reported by Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, specifying that two victims were recorded in Panteleimonivka, one in Bakhmut and one in Krasnohorivka. Ukrainska Pravda reports it.
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Scholz: "It is absolutely necessary to talk to Putin"
"It is absolutely necessary to talk to Putin": said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz interviewed by Dpa after yesterday's visit to Kiev. Scholz defended direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and announced more. "I will continue to do so, as will the French president," Scholz said.
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BoJo: "I understand Kiev if it doesn't come to terms with Putin"
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a press conference in Kiev with President Volodymyr Zelensky that he understands why Ukrainians are unwilling to compromise with Russia in the face of its "barbaric" aggression.
"We continue to see the deliberate attack of civilians, which unquestionably represents a war crime and, in a horrendous echo of the past, the illegal deportation of people who according to the Russian military are not sufficiently sympathetic to Putin's aggression", said the prime minister.
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Putin: “Ukraine in the EU? We are not against "
"The EU is not a military organization, so Russia is not against Ukraine's accession." This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, quoted by TASS.
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BoJo: "Ready to train thousands of Ukrainians"
The UK is ready to launch a massive operation to train thousands of Ukrainian military personnel. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this to President Volodymyr Zelensky during his second surprise visit to Kiev since the beginning of the Russian invasion. London, in collaboration with allied countries, could train up to 10,000 soldiers every 120 days. For Johnson, this initiative has all the prerequisites to change the situation on the pitch.
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Merkel: "I could mediate, but not now"
In an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that will be released tomorrow, Angela Merkel said she did not rule out the possibility of mediating later in the Ukrainian conflict, but that "the question does not arise at the moment". The same Rnd portal anticipates it. Merkel reiterated her support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's line, saying that "she believes it is right that the West takes sides in favor of the existence of Ukraine, without participating in direct military confrontation".
Merkel then explained that Vladimir Putin must be "taken seriously" and told how last year he still tried unsuccessfully to involve the Russian president in a dialogue. "On the one hand, Putin was no longer willing to a meeting in the Normandy format. On the other hand, I too have failed to create an additional format of discussion between Europe and Russia for a European security order," the said. former chancellor.
Merkel also speculated that her later attempts likely failed because it was clear she was at the end of her tenure. On the hypothesis that Putin waited for her to leave the chancellorship to invade Ukraine, Merkel said that "my departure may have been a contribution as well as the elections in France, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the blockade. implementation of the Minsk Agreement ".
The former chancellor also reiterated that the Russian "brutal attack" is a caesura in European history that will have effects for many years to come. The entire interview with the former chancellor will be published tomorrow, Saturday, on the Rnd portal.
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Johnson, surprise visit to Kiev
Second visit by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson today to Kiev since the beginning of Russian military action in Ukraine. This was reported by some media of the Kingdom citing unofficial sources. This is a new surprise trip, destined to be crowned with another face to face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who in recent weeks has repeatedly praised BoJo as "a friend" and the British government as an example within the Western front in support - including military - to his country.
"The many days of this war have shown that Britain's support for Ukraine is firm and resolute. I am happy to see our country's great friend Boris Johnson in Kiev again," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. .
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Putin: "Crazy sanctions, they didn't work"
The sanctions against Russia "are foolish and reckless, their purpose is to crush the Russian Federation's economy but they have not worked". Thus Russian President Vladimir Putin in his speech at the Spief in St. Petersburg.
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Putin: "The US believes it is the only center in the world"
"The US thinks it is the only center of the world". This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking at the St. Petersburg economic forum.
"The era of the unipolar world order is over, despite all attempts to preserve it by any means," he added.
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Ukraine in the EU: "Long and painful process"
"We are not at the point where we recommend the Council to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, it is a long, painful and dynamic process and it is a process in which the EU must also proceed with its institutional reform process" . This was announced by a senior European official. "Poland, for example, took 10 years, from 1994 to 2004, to go from being recognized as a candidate country to join the EU".
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Putin's speech has been postponed
Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) postponed by one hour "due to a cyber attack on the forum website, which interrupted the admission system to the plenary meeting". This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as reported by Interfax.
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EU: "There are no immediate risks for gas"
"Based on our exchange with national authorities through the Gas Coordination Group, there is no indication of an immediate security of supply risk, but we continue to monitor the situation very closely and remain in close contact with national authorities. of the affected countries ". This was stated by a spokesman for the European Commission regarding the new reductions in Russian gas supplies to some EU member states.
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Von der Leyen: "Giving Ukraine the status of EU candidate country"
"Today we adopted the recommendation to the Council to give Ukraine a European perspective and candidate status for entry into the Union." This was stated by the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen after the meeting of the college.
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Macron: "No peace if the goal is to crush Russia"
French President Emmanuel Macron said Ukraine will never have peace if the ultimate goal of the conflict in the country is to "crush Russia". In an interview with French TV Bfmtv, filmed by CNN, on his return from Ukraine, Macron said he had heard that "the goal of this war is to crush Russia. And this is where I say you are wrong. If yes do so, a negotiated peace will never be achieved ". Macron added that not even Zelensky has the goal of crushing Russia. "President Zelensky defends his land. And we want to help him do it. Sometimes we have won the war and lost the peace."
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UN: "Humanitarian situation in Donbass extremely alarming"
The humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine is "extremely alarming" and continues to deteriorate. The UN affirms it. "Almost four months after the start of the war, the humanitarian situation across Ukraine, especially in eastern Donbass, is extremely alarming and continues to deteriorate rapidly," the OCHA, the Office of Nations, said in a statement. Unite for Humanitarian Affairs.
Great Britain: "Russia has already lost"
Russia has "already strategically lost" its war in Ukraine, taking heavy losses and strengthening NATO, and "will never take control" of the country. This is what Tony Radakin, Chief of Defense of the United Kingdom said in an interview with the Press Association news agency. "President Putin used 25% of the power of his army to collect small territorial gains," says the admiral. "Any claim that this is a success for Russia makes no sense. Russia is losing," he said. According to Radakin, Putin may have "tactical successes" in the coming weeks, but he is running out of high-tech troops and missiles.
(Unioneonline)