► Zelensky visiting near the front
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went on Wednesday June 26 to Pokrovsk, a city close to a particularly difficult area of the front in the eastern region of Donetsk, to meet his soldiers.
War in Ukraine, day 853: what to remember from Tuesday June 25
“I started this day in the Donetsk region, with our soldiers, with Commander-in-Chief Syrsky and the new commander of the joint forces, General Gnatov”he said in a video published on his Telegram channel, filmed in front of the sign in the town of Pokrovsk, an area where the Russians have been on the offensive for weeks.
General Gnatov was appointed to the post on Monday and replaces General Yuri Sodol, who was accused of incompetence leading to the deaths of soldiers and setbacks at the front by a popular military commander.
Brigadier General Gnatov is “young but his knowledge of the front line and his experience are exactly what we need”underlined the Ukrainian president.
► An American journalist on trial for espionage in Russia
The trial for ” spying “ of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, detained in Russia for fifteen months on charges he denies, was opened on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for an Ekaterinburg court told the press.
For its part, the American embassy in Moscow on Wednesday called on Russian authorities to release ” immediately “ journalist Evan Gershkovich.
In Russia, the policy of “hostages” to force the hand of the West
“We made it clear from the outset that Evan committed no wrongdoing and should not have been arrested.”the embassy said on social networks, calling for the release “immediate” of the reporter, as well as that of another American, Paul Whelan, detained since 2018 in Russia.
The Wall Street Journal, for which Evan Gershkovich works, condemned in a statement published Wednesday “ a mock trial » founded “Fabricated accusations”.
► The EU strengthens its sanctions against Belarus
EU countries have agreed on new sanctions against Belarus to align them with those targeting Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU. These sanctions have not yet been detailed.
“With this package (of sanctions), we have just closed the largest mesh of the net of our sanctions regime”against Russia, specified the Belgian presidency.
War in Ukraine: Between Russia and Belarus, a self-interested and ambiguous relationship
The European Union has imposed sanctions on the regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin’s closest ally, for allowing his country to become an outpost for Russian forces in their invasion of Ukraine. The two countries also have a customs union, which facilitates the transit of European goods from Belarus to Russia.
“Belarus must no longer be used to circumvent our sanctions against Russia. With this package we increase pressure on both countries and strengthen the effectiveness of our sanctions against Russia”declared for her part the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
► Five Lithuanians injured in strikes in Ukraine
Five Lithuanians were injured in Ukraine by bombings while providing material aid to soldiers in that country, officials and members of their team said Wednesday without giving details.
The five individuals were traveling by car when they were caught in shelling in Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, said their colleague Valdas Bartkevicius.
In Vilnius, a refuge university for Belarusian, Ukrainian and Russian students
“All five of us are in the hospital”, wrote to AFP via Facebook Sigitas Maliauskas, who suffers from bruises. He said two other team members also suffered bruises, one had a hand injury and another had to have a leg amputated.
► Ukraine welcomes new NATO leader
The Ukrainian presidency on Wednesday welcomed the appointment of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO Secretary General, emphasizing his crucial role in confronting the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
NATO: Mark Rutte, an ace compromiser at the head of a military alliance
President Volodymyr Zelensky greets “a strong and principled leader” for NATO, adding that he “has demonstrated decisiveness and vision on numerous occasions over the past few years.”
► Moscow denounces ICC arrest warrants against Russian military officials
The Kremlin ruled on Wednesday “absurd” the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Russian Chief of Staff Valeri Guerassimov and Sergei Shoigu, Minister of Defense until last May, for war crimes and crimes against humanity alleged in Ukraine, which Moscow rejects.
“We do not recognize the jurisdiction of this court”the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, told journalists. ” We consider (these mandates) as absurd »he added.
