New weapons will soon arrive on Ukrainian soil. France and Australia signed an agreement on Monday, January 30, which provides for the delivery of “several thousand 155 mm shells (…) produced jointly”said the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu.
However, the delivery of combat aircraft is still a subject of debate between Western countries: questioned on this subject during a trip to the Netherlands, Emmanuel Macron cautiously replied that “nothing is prohibited in principle”. For his part, Joe Biden has opposed a categorical refusal to this idea. Here’s what to remember from the day.
France and Australia to supply shells to Ukraine
Paris and Canberra have signed an agreement to supply shells to Ukraine, announced the French Ministers of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu and Australian Richard Marles.
“Several thousand 155 mm shells will be jointly produced”, declared Sébastien Lecornu, while Richard Marles spoke of a “multi-million dollar project” Australians, a “new cooperation between Australian and French defense industries”.
“This is part of the support efforts that Australia and France are providing to Ukraine to ensure that it is able to hold on to this conflict and end it on its own terms,” said the Australian minister.
Differences over sending fighter jets
Emmanuel Macron, questioned in The Hague about the possibility of sending fighter jets to Ukraine to help it fight the Russian invasion, cautiously replied that “nothing is prohibited in principle”.
He mentioned some “criteria”, before any decision, such as the fact that a “request” that is “formulated” by Ukraine, that this does not “be not escalatory” and “not likely to touch Russian soil but to help the resistance effort” and “it does not come to weaken the capacity of the French army”.
Joe Biden immediately refused the idea of sending American F-16 type fighter planes. “No”said the American president when a journalist asked him at the White House about the possibility of providing the devices demanded by the Ukrainian leaders.
Ukraine accuses IOC of promoting war
Ulcerated by the possible participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes under a neutral banner in the 2024 Olympics, the Ukrainian presidency raised its voice against the International Olympic Committee, accusing it of being “a promoter of war, murder and destruction”. “The IOC happily watches Russia destroy Ukraine and then offers Russia a platform to promote genocide” of the Ukrainians, launched on Twitter the adviser to the presidency Mykhaïlo Podoliak.
“Obviously the money that buys Olympic hypocrisy doesn’t smell of Ukrainian blood. Does it, Mr. Bach?”he dropped, personally targeting Thomas Bach, the German president of the Olympic body.
The IOC, which had “recommended” at the end of February 2022 to the international federations to exclude the Russians and Belarusians from their competitions after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, has not yet decided anything and leaves it to each federation to reinstate them or to keep away.
kyiv denies that the Russian army is advancing in Vougledar
Ukraine denied on Monday that Russian troops were advancing, as Moscow claims, near the town of Vougledar, a new hot spot on the front in eastern Ukraine where fighting has intensified lately.
“Our units continue to advance… Units have established themselves in eastern Vougledar and work continues in the surrounding areas,” said in the morning the head of the Russian occupation in the Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, quoted by Russian agencies.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian army in charge of this area, Yevguen Ierine, assured him that the Russian attacks in the area had failed. According to him, the Ukrainian forces were able to repel the Russians with the help of“firearms and artillery”.