Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Between the strong declarations, the progress on the front and the results of the fighting, here is the main point from this Thursday, on the 988th day of the conflict.
Fact of the day
The return of Donald Trump to the international game, with his intention to resolve the conflict “in 24 hours”, seems to give wings to Russia. Not only is it intensifying its bombings on Ukraine but it delivered this Thursday, through its head of the Security Council, what very much resembles an ultimatum. “The situation in the theater of hostilities is not in favor of the kyiv regime, the West has a choice: continue its financing [de l’Ukraine] and the destruction of the Ukrainian population or admit the existing realities and start negotiating,” explained Sergei Shoigu during a meeting, urging kyiv's Western allies to begin negotiations if they want to put an end to the attacks against the Ukrainians.
This message was sent at the very moment when Western leaders were gathered in Budapest, Hungary, for a summit of the European Political Community (EPC) at the invitation of the very Russophile Viktor Orbán and in the presence of the Ukrainian president.
As a reminder, Russia is demanding that Ukraine lay down its arms, cede five regions, renounce its alliance with the West and its ambition to join NATO.
Sentence of the day
« Some of you here have urged Ukraine to make “concessions” to Putin. This is unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for all of Europe. » »
The warning issued by Volodymyr Zelensky in Budapest to the leaders of the Western camp. The Ukrainian president also called on Americans and Europeans to be “strong” and to “value” their relations, despite the uncertainty for the future that the election of Donald Trump raises.
“I spoke to President Trump […]it was a productive conversation but, of course, we cannot say what specific actions he will take,” the Ukrainian head of state also indicated.
The number of the day
4. The number of deaths this Thursday in a series of Russian strikes on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia. Thirty-three other people, including three children, were injured by these hovering bombs which hit a hospital and residential buildings, according to the regional governor. “There may still be people under the rubble,” authorities said.
A sign of the intensification of Russian bombings, this Thursday evening, a strike on the village of Mykolaivka, in the eastern region of Donetsk, also caused the death of two people and left five injured.
During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the capital kyiv was also the target of a “massive” Russian drone attack which left two people injured.
Today's trend
How to convince Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine? Also present in Budapest, the NATO Secretary General chose the argument of rapprochement between Russia and North Korea. The role of the latter “illustrates how these countries work together – China, North Korea, Russia and, of course, Iran. And it is increasingly a threat, not only for the European NATO countries but also for the United States,” insisted Mark Rutte.
Our file on the war in Ukraine
Pyongyang is accused by the West of supplying quantities of shells and missiles to the Russian army in its conflict with Ukraine, in addition to thousands of soldiers sent to Russian soil. “North Korea is part of the war in Europe,” said Volodymyr Zelensky. “Russia must pay for this. One of the things it's doing is delivering technology to North Korea, which now threatens the future, the American continent, continental Europe, but also our partners in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. added the NATO boss, stressing that this was a “dangerous” development. Will this North Korean specter be enough to change Donald Trump's mind? The issue is simply vital for Ukraine.
