Live War in Ukraine: Conflict “maybe” not “priority of Chinese diplomacy”, Macron admits

In an interview with Les Echos, Emmanuel Macron returned to his talks with Xi Jinping on the conflict in Ukraine. “I think China makes the same observation as us, that is, today, the weather army. The Ukrainians are resisting, we are helping them. This is not the time for negotiations, although we have to prepare them and sow milestones,” he explained further: “This is the purpose of this dialogue with China: to consolidate common approaches. . One: Support for the principles of the United Nations Charter. Two: A clear reminder of nuclear power and drawing the consequences of the fact that President Putin deployed nuclear weapons in Belarus days after promising not to do so. Three: A very clear reminder of humanitarian law and the protection of children. And four: a desire for dialogue and a lasting peace”. And to wonder: “Is Ukraine a priority for Chinese diplomacy? Probably not. But this dialogue helps reduce the notions we’ve heard about a kind of Chinese complacency towards Russia.

According to the Kremlin spokesman, the West has reacted “hysterically” to Russia’s plans to build nuclear weapons storage facilities in Belarus, Dmitry Peskov said. He recalled that the United States had nuclear weapons in Europe.

Poland has decided to temporarily stop grain deliveries to deal with the discontent of Polish farmers who have to import Ukrainian grain at low prices. New Agriculture Minister Janusz Kowalski has proposed introducing tariffs on all agricultural products from Ukraine.

According to Bild, President Zelensky may visit Aachen in May, where he will receive the Charlemagne Prize. The prize, established in 1949 and awarded by the city of Aachen since 1950, rewards outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to the European Union.

According to the Juvenile Prosecutor, in total, more than 1,415 children have been affected since the start of the war in Ukraine. 468 children were killed and more than 947 were injured in varying degrees of severity. Underestimated figures according to the lawyer. Most of the children were affected in Donetsk, Karkiv and Kyiv region. This Sunday, in Zaporizhia, an 11-year-old girl died. Yesterday, a 15-year-old boy was injured in Russian bombing in Doretsk, Donetsk region.

According to the US Institute of Warfare (ISW), the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces has decided to drastically reduce the daily supply of artillery shells to non-offensive front areas in preparation for a Ukrainian counteroffensive. . “The large demand for missiles indicates that Russian forces still rely heavily on artillery to compensate for their major shortcomings, which include poor accuracy capabilities, inadequate ground attack capabilities, and lack of air force readiness,” ISW continues, “‘Russian forces. to expose aircraft and their pilots to Ukrainian air defenses. Instead use heavy artillery to bombard population centers and minimize casualties before attempting to advance with infantry.If Russia doesn’t have constant artillery bombardment, it can’t compensate for its other weaknesses.

According to Ukrainian officials, Russia has lost 178,150 soldiers since the start of the conflict. Material losses were also very heavy: more than 3,600 tanks, 307 aircraft, 18 ships …

In its latest update, British Ministry of Defense Vladimir Putin chaired a full session of the Security Council, the first since 2022. The Council dealt with reconstruction, law enforcement and public order in illegally annexed areas of Ukraine. Choosing Kolokoltsev as the keynote speaker may be an attempt by the Kremlin to normalize the situation in these regions. “In reality, much of the region remains an intense war zone, subject to partisan attacks and with very little access to basic services for many citizens,” the ministry explained.

Secret Pentagon documents leaked on social media suggest Wagner’s group tried to buy weapons from Turkey. US special services were aware of Wagner’s attempt to purchase weapons from Turkey, and were also well aware of Russian plans for war in Ukraine. According to the Washington Post, in early February, “Wagner” soldiers met with Turkish officials to buy weapons and equipment in Turkey to strengthen the PMK’s position in the war in Ukraine and Mali. On the other hand, it is not known whether these discussions were successful.

“I congratulate Ukrainians and all Christians celebrating Easter today. On the front lines, in our towns and villages. Everyone who celebrates Easter in Europe, America, Africa, Asia, Australia. A world that wants to live freely. A world that values ​​life, respect and equality for every person,” President Zelensky explained in a tweet.

1,000 Easter cakes were delivered in Lviv to purchase drones for the 125th separate division of the Territorial Guard of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Brazilian President Lula will visit China next week. He is due to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday, specifically to “exchange their views on the war in Ukraine,” explained Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. This week, Brazil’s president again expressed ambivalence about the conflict. While he assured that Russia “can’t seize territory from Ukraine,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he “doesn’t want everything,” suggesting that Moscow could give up the Crimean peninsula.

The Brazilian left-wing icon has vowed to put his country back “at the center of a new global geopolitics” after being isolated under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. In Beijing, Lula hopes to reprise his role as the mediator who contributed to the nuclear agreements between Iran and the United States during his second term (2007-2010).

In an interview with the Kyodo News newspaper, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders recalled that the EU continues to discuss with the G7 the creation of a special court to try Russia. “We will continue to see if it is possible to have the same approach in a proposal (of the G-7) during the Japanese presidency. The crime of aggression is now at stake,” he said. According to Reinders, the EU, in cooperation with Ukrainian judicial authorities and the International Criminal Court, will punish Russia for the crime of aggression. It is considering the creation of a special court or a hybrid court consisting of Ukrainian and international judges.

The Russians attacked the residential area in Zaporizhia. An 11-year-old boy and his father died. The mother was rescued from the wreckage.

Almost 3.5 million people in Ukraine have already exchanged 16.5 million light bulbs in Ukrboshta branches to save energy with an often degraded energy infrastructure after the bombings. Kyiv region holds the record for exchange, with residents of the region exchanging 2 million light bulbs. From May 1, old incandescent bulbs can be exchanged for LEDs only in regional centers. Another five million LED bulbs will soon arrive in Ukraine

A tractor hit an anti-tank mine near Kyiv. The driver, who was cultivating a field between the villages of Ruzanivka and Svitlinya, 54 kilometers east of Kew, sustained multiple injuries. A pyrotechnic team was dispatched to the scene and the surrounding area to defuse the six landmines found.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed its disappointment at the joint participation of Ukrainian and Russian youth in the Stations of the Cross in Rome. According to kyiv, this is an attempt to compare the victim to the aggressor in the war unleashed by Russia. According to Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesman for the ministry, the crucifixion symbolizes the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and faith over hope. “We are deeply grateful to Pope Francis for his concern for Ukraine and Ukrainians. Unfortunately, we are forced to report that this year’s procession has again been overshadowed by an attempt to equate victim and perpetrator,” he noted on Facebook.

Several thousand people marched in Germany on Saturday for traditional Easter weekend peace marches, marked by last year’s war in Ukraine, organizers said. The largest protest in Berlin brought together nearly 2,000 people, according to the German Peace Movement Network. In Hanover (less than 300 kilometers west of the German capital), they numbered around 1,200, said Christian Kolla, a spokesman for the movement. Small-scale demonstrations took place across the country. Overall, participation in these parades is on par with last year, Kolla said.

31 Ukrainian children have been reunited with their families after being illegally taken to Russia, Ukraine’s Save Ukraine organization said. “Children abducted by Russians from Kherson and Kharkiv regions have been reunited with their families after months of separation,” the organization said.

Welcome to this new live dedicated to the war in Ukraine.