The Kremlin displays its determination. The potential delivery of longer-range missiles to Ukraine by the United States “would involve additional efforts” for Russia, but “will not change the course of events”, said Wednesday, February 1, the spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov. For its part, the European Union wants to train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers, ie a doubling of its initial objective, in order to help kyiv to face the Russian invasion. Here’s what to remember from the day.
Russia warns Israel against supplying arms to Ukraine
“As regards the delivery of arms [Ã l’Ukraine], we do not classify countries according to geography. We say that all countries that deliver arms must understand that we will consider [ces armes] as legitimate targets for the Russian armed forces”, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said of the possibility of Israeli supplies. This statement comes after Benjamin Netanyahu, said “consider the matter”.
Since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine last February, Israel has sought to remain neutral in this conflict, for example not supplying arms to kyiv despite repeated requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Israel has also asserted privileged ties with Moscow, the Jewish state having more than a million citizens from the former Soviet Union and Russia having troops in Syria, a neighboring country of Israel.
Remarks by Emmanuel Macron deemed “absurd” by Russian diplomacy
Russian diplomacy judged “absurd” that Emmanuel Macron can say that arms deliveries to Ukraine do not constitute an escalation. “Is the French president really certain that deliveries of heavy weapons, planes to the kyiv regime (…) will not lead to an escalation of the situation?”criticized in front of the press the spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova.
“I can’t believe this is adult logic,” she said. The diplomat was questioned at a press conference on comments by Emmanuel Macron on Monday concerning possible deliveries of fighter planes to Ukraine.
The French president had stressed that each decision to deliver armaments had to respond to “criteria”, in particular that this “is not escalatory” and “not likely to touch Russian soil”.
Deliveries of long-range weapons to Ukraine will not deter Russian offensive
The Kremlin estimated that the potential delivery of longer-range missiles to Ukraine by the United States would not change “not the course of events” and that Russia would continue its offensive at all costs.
Missile supplies with a range of 150 km would lead “Towards a heightening of tensions, towards an increase in the level of escalation. We see it, this would involve additional efforts for us, but it will not change the course of events, the special military operation will continue”Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
EU wants to train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers, double its initial target
The European Union wants to train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers, doubling its initial target, to help kyiv deal with the Russian invasion, a European official announced on Wednesday. The Twenty-Seven set up a program in November aimed at training 15,000 Ukrainians in its various member states.
“This figure will probably be reached before the end of the second quarter of this year and there will be a new training target of 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers by different European countries”, said the official, on condition of anonymity. “This will bring to 30,000 the number of soldiers trained in this framework”, he added.
The trainings take place in several European countries, with a main center of the mission located in Poland, a country bordering Ukraine.