Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Between the strong declarations, the advances on the front and the results of the fighting, here is the essential part of this Friday, the 975th day of the war.
Fact of the day
Volodymyr Zelensky is angry. No doubt upset, the Ukrainian president refused this Friday to receive the UN Secretary General in kyiv. The reason? He did not appreciate that Antonio Guterres went to Kazan in Russia to meet Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Brics summit.
For him, this is a “humiliation” inflicted on international law. However, Guterres came to remind the Kremlin that its invasion of Ukraine was “a violation” of international law. Regardless, Zelensky considered that this visit only “damaged the reputation of the UN”.
Today's statement
« North Korea's support for Russia would be a clear escalation in the war in Ukraine. »
Germany on Friday expressed concern over the arrival of North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region, as Volodymyr Zelensky says they will be active from Sunday.
“This is serious, and it is something that causes a further escalation in the current situation,” said Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Pyongyang “must not contribute” to the conflict and must “refrain from doing anything in this direction”, adds a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry.
For its part, Japan found this “very worrying deployment”, including “the possibility that it participates in Russia's aggression against Ukraine”. But North Korea ignores their fears. “If what the international media are talking about exists, I think it would be something done in accordance with the rules of international law,” she believes.
The number of the day
21 %. The Russian Central Bank (BCR) announced on Friday that it would raise its key rate from 19 to 21%. Which constitutes historic screw tightening. This is its highest rate since 2003. The objective: to contain inflation.
The rise in prices, driven by the surge in public spending aimed at supporting the offensive in Ukraine, reached 8.63% in September, well above the official target of 4%.
However, Russian MPs voted the day before to increase the defense budget by 30% in 2025, which could further fuel this inflationary spiral.
Today's trend
Did Russia help the Houthis bomb Western ships? This is what the Wall Street Journalclaiming that Yemeni rebels used data from Russian satellites, transmitted by Iranian intermediaries.
These attacks disrupted traffic in this crucial maritime area for commerce, leading the United States to set up an international maritime coalition and strike rebel targets in Yemen, sometimes with help from the United Kingdom. Since then, the Houthis have said they also target American and British ships.
