The Ukrainian authorities ordered the evacuation of children and their families on Thursday in several localities in the Kharkiv region, in the northeast of the country, faced with the risk of strikes and the continuous advance of Russian troops.
In Moscow, the Kremlin said he was ready for a dialogue “with mutual respect” with American president Donald Trump, who threatened new sanctions if Russia does not agree with Ukraine to end The war launched almost three years ago.
Since its re -election, Russia, Ukraine and their allies have been waiting to see what position will adopt the unpredictable American leader, in particular on crucial military aid for Ukraine, especially since he boasts of having a good Relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine fears to be pushed to the negotiating table in an unfavorable position, because it is struggling on the front, and of being forced to sell its territories occupied by Russia.
Illustration of these difficulties, the governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleg Synegoubov, announced Thursday that “267 children and their families must be evacuated from 16 localities” close to the front line.
This decision is due to “the intensification of enemy bombings,” he added.
The area concerned is close to the city of Koupiansk, occupied by the forces of Moscow from the first days of the war, then taken up by the Ukrainian army in the fall of 2022.
Russian troops, better armed and more numerous than Ukrainian soldiers, are now nearby.
Important railroad knot, this city is crossed by the Oskil river, which has become further north the front line between the Russian and Ukrainian troops.
In the Donetsk region, Russian soldiers are also at the gates of Pokrovsk, an important city for the logistics of the Ukrainian army, and seem to be in charge of the fortified place of Tchassiv Iar.
These cities, many others, have emptied their residents as the fighting approached, transforming their streets into fields of deserted ruins.
In this part of the front, the Russian push continues to the west, towards the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The village of Soloné, just eight kilometers as the crow flies from the region of this region, is now under Russian control, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said on Thursday.
– “NOW” –
Donald Trump, who has repeatedly praised his ability to end the Russian invasion quickly, threatened Russia with new sanctions on Wednesday if it did not conclude “now” an agreement with Ukraine.
-The spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, said Thursday not to see “nothing particularly new” in the billionaire's words.
He nevertheless assured that Moscow was ready “to a dialogue on an equal footing and with mutual respect”.
“During his first presidency, there had been such a dialogue between Putin and him,” said the Russian spokesman, according to which the Kremlin is still waiting for “signals” in this sense of the White House.
Donald Trump as Vladimir Putin said he was ready to talk to himself, never giving a date.
Russian diplomacy spokesperson Maria Zakharova called on the administration of the new president on Thursday to “correct” the errors of her predecessor Joe Biden in Ukraine.
– blurred intentions –
Ex-general Keith Kellogg, appointed by Donald Trump in charge of the file, claimed from kyiv several concessions.
Mr. Trump's return to power is perceived as a potential turning point for the conflict, even if his intentions remain vague.
The United States is Ukraine's first military support. Donald Trump had criticized this aid during his campaign, but since his inauguration he has not clearly meant if he heard it maintaining it or ending it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a publication on Telegram Thursday summarizing an interview with the Bloomberg agency, posed as a condition for the talks to obtain real guarantees from his allies.
“The question is whether Ukraine will be alone (…) or if Ukraine will be with its allies,” he said.
Volodymyr Zelensky notably mentioned this week the presence of a contingent of Western troops in the event of a truce.
Russian strikes, almost quasi-quota in Ukraine, also killed at least three people and around fifty injured Thursday in three regions of the country, according to local authorities.
Related News :