what to remember from the 181st day of the russian invasion

The United States on Tuesday accused Russia of wanting to intensify its bombardments in the country, and France called for having “no weakness” against Moscow in this conflict which will enter its seventh month on Wednesday. The tone also rose in Russia, where the head of diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, declared that there would be “no mercy” for the murderers of the daughter of a pro-Kremlin ideologue killed on Saturday by the Ukrainians according to the Russian security services.

The American embassy in Ukraine published in the morning an alarmist message warning that Russia could intensify its bombardments “over the next few days”, and called on American citizens to leave the country “now”. “The Department of State has information that Russia is intensifying its efforts to launch strikes against civilian infrastructure and government facilities in Ukraine in the coming days,” the embassy said in a message posted on its website, without further details on the places potentially concerned.

Since the withdrawal of Russian forces from around kyiv in late March, the bulk of the fighting has been concentrated in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow slowly gained ground before the front froze, and in the south , where the Ukrainian troops say they are carrying out a counter-offensive, which is also very slow. Russia, however, continues to regularly target Ukrainian cities with long-range missiles, though rarely targeting the capital Kyiv and its surroundings.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his part estimated on Tuesday that there was “every day” a threat of new Russian strikes on kyiv. “They are targeting infrastructure or government buildings as a priority,” the first day of the invasion, he said at a press conference. “This is what Russia does all the time,” added Mr. Zelensky while promising a “powerful response” in the event of strikes.

Polish President visits kyiv to reaffirm support for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, who arrived in kyiv as part of the “Crimean platform”, an initiative bringing together the main states supporting Ukraine and which already existed before the invasion of the country by Russia on February 24.

His arrival is part of the “Crimean platform”, an initiative bringing together the main states supporting Ukraine and which already existed before the invasion of the country by Russia launched almost six months ago to the day. , February 24. “The presidents will certainly discuss how Poland can help, including politically in order to persuade other countries to offer their support and to continue it”, explained during a press conference on Tuesday Pawel Szrot, the chief. of the Polish presidential administration.

According to him, Warsaw will insist on the need to sanction Moscow with “decisive restrictive measures” which would allow Russian citizens to “understand the serious aggression committed by (their) country”. “The president is also convinced that all Western countries, the EU, NATO, must act in solidarity,” he added. Poland, like the Baltic countries, is among the most unconditional supporters of Ukraine within the EU, but also the greatest critics of Russia, as opposed in particular to Germany and France, whose positions sometimes more measured are criticized by kyiv.

Emmanuel Macron calls for having “no weakness” against Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday urged the international community to show “no weakness, no spirit of compromise” against Russia, as the war in Ukraine enters its seventh month on Wednesday.

“We cannot (..) have any weakness, any spirit of compromise, because it is about our freedom to all, and peace in all parts of the globe”, he launched in a pre-recorded video message at the “Crimean Platform” Summit. The Europeans are ready to support Ukraine’s “combat” over the long term, he added to the attention of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trials of prisoners of war

“We must continue to provide Ukraine with all necessary (economic, military, etc.) aid until Russia ends this war and withdraws its troops from all over Ukraine,” the Prime Minister added. British Minister Boris Johnson. Vladimir Putin is counting on the “reluctance” of Europeans to bear the consequences of the war and the unity of the Member States must be “maintained from day to day”, underlined the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell , in an interview with AFP.

The UN on Tuesday expressed concern over the possible trials of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Mariupol, captured in May by Russia, stressing that it is “prohibited” to create courts intended solely to try such prisoners. “International humanitarian law prohibits the establishment of tribunals intended solely to try prisoners of war,” said a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani.

Ukraine has accused Moscow of organizing massive illegal adoptions of Ukrainian children transferred from occupied areas to Russia. “Russia continues to kidnap children from Ukrainian territory and arrange their illegal adoption by Russian citizens,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

“Dead at the front”

In Russia, several hundred people gathered in Moscow on Tuesday for the funeral of Daria Douguina, the daughter of a pro-Kremlin ultranationalist ideologue and writer, killed on Saturday evening in the explosion of her car. Daria Dugina, a 29-year-old journalist and political scientist, was like her father, Alexander Dugin, a fierce supporter of the Russian offensive in Ukraine. “It was a barbaric crime for which there can be no forgiveness (…). There can be no mercy for the organizers, the sponsors and the performers”, reacted the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov.

“She died at the front for the nation, for Russia. The front is here,” said Alexander Dougin in a trembling voice, his eyes darkened. The Russian security services (FSB) said on Monday that the attack was planned and carried out by Ukrainian intelligence services. Ukraine has denied it in its entirety, and in return accused Russia of having committed this crime in an attempt to remobilize public opinion, according to it, which is less and less favorable to the war.