Did you miss the latest events on the conflict in Ukraine? 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
For the first time since the start of the conflict, a court in kyiv on Wednesday tried a Russian soldier accused of war crimes. Shaved head and wearing a hooded sweatshirt, Vadim Chichimarine, 21, appeared locked in a glass box. The facts date back to February 28. The young man who commands a small unit within a tank division, steals a car with four other Russian soldiers. As they ride near the village of Choupakhivka, in the Sumy region, they cross paths with a 62-year-old man, who pushes his bicycle while on the phone.
“One of the soldiers told the accused to kill the civilian so that he would not denounce them”, according to the services of the general prosecutor. Vadim Chichimarine then fired a Kalashnikov from the window of the vehicle and “the man died instantly, a few dozen meters from his home”, they added. After the prosecutor read the indictment, he acknowledged the facts “in their entirety”. He faces life imprisonment.
The phrase
This is a historic moment at a critical time for our security
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has received NATO membership applications from Finland and Sweden. “We hope to quickly conclude” the process, he added.
The number
9 billion euros. This is the amount of the “new exceptional macro-financial assistance” proposed by the European Commission in the form of loans to Ukraine. This is exceptional aid that the EU provides to neighboring countries facing serious balance of payments problems, in addition to aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This aid must be approved by the European Parliament and the Member States. It is subject to conditions, in particular respect for human rights and democratic functioning.
The image
The trend of the day
Russia carried out expulsions of diplomats in spades on Wednesday. The grand ball began with France. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that “34 employees of French diplomatic establishments in Russia have been declared ‘persona non grata'” in Russia and were to leave the country within two weeks. An hour later, Russia announces the expulsion of 24 Italian diplomats and 27 Spanish diplomats.
Decisions immediately condemned by the sanctioned countries. In Italy, Mario Draghi denounced a “hostile act” by Moscow and Paris denounced a decision based on “no legitimate basis”. Spain for its part “rejected” these expulsions. Regarding France, the Russian decision is a response to that of France to have expelled last April several dozen Russian agents suspected of espionage.
