► “Unjustifiable”: NGOs denounce the sending of antipersonnel mines to kyiv
The United States' decision to supply antipersonnel mines to Ukraine is “unjustifiable”denounced NGOs on Wednesday, November 20, who point out the long-term consequences for civilians of these internationally banned weapons, even if they aim to slow down the Russian advance on Ukrainian territory.
They “do not know the difference between soldiers and civilians” and continue long after their installation to explode in contact with farmers or even children, deplores Alma Taslidzan, of the NGO Handicap international.
► China wants to find “a political solution” in Ukraine
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “bring together more voices committed to peace in order to open the way to a political solution” to the war in Ukraine, reported the official Xinhua news agency.
The Chinese president made the statement to the press after a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as part of his state visit to Brasilia.
► Zelensky considers antipersonnel mines “very important”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky considered that the antipersonnel mines, which Washington decided to supply to kyiv, attracting criticism from specialized organizations, were “very important” to stop the advance of the Russian army in eastern Ukraine.
During the day, the United States explained that its decision was explained by a change in Russia's tactics on the battlefield, with Moscow increasingly favoring infantry.
“Their mechanized forces are no longer in the lead. They advance on foot in order to approach to open the way for the mechanized forces.said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Ukrainians “need things that can help slow down this effort on the part of the Russians”he added.
► Latin America calls to avoid an “arms race”
Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico called, Wednesday in a joint statement, for “avoid actions that lead to an arms race and aggravate” the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“We urge all parties involved to respect their international commitments and to prioritize dialogue and the search for peace in this region”write the governments of the four countries in this text.
► A defense agreement between the United Kingdom and Moldova
The United Kingdom and Moldova signed an agreement on defense and security on Wednesday, November 20, which should notably make it possible to “building resilience” of this small Eastern European country facing the « menaces » Russians, announced the British Foreign Office, which is in Moldova.
► Threat of massive strikes targeting Ukraine
Ukraine called on Western embassies that had closed for fear of Russian bombings not to fuel tension, stressing that the threat of Russian strikes was “daily” in the country since the beginning of the invasion.
“The terrorist country (Russia, Editor’s note) is carrying out a massive information and psychological attack against Ukraine”Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) said in a statement, citing false messages circulating on social media and attributed to the GUR reporting an increased risk of Russian strikes.
At least five Western embassies, those of the United States, Spain, Italy, Hungary and Greece, announced that they would temporarily close for the day on Wednesday due to a threat of air attack, in the context of increasingly harsh rhetoric from Russia.
In the evening, the United States Embassy in kyiv announced that it would resume operations on Thursday.
► Long-range missiles: Erdogan fears an “escalation”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he feared a « escalade » in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine after the green light given by Washington to kyiv for the use of American missiles in Russian territory, which it described as “big mistake”.
“This decision by Biden will not only lead to an escalation of the conflict, but also a stronger reaction from Russia”Recep Tayyip Erdogan told journalists during his return flight from the G20 in Rio.
► The Pope denounces “a shameful disaster for humanity”
Pope Francis marked 1,000 days since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, seeing it as a “tragic birthday” et “a shameful disaster for humanity”in the presence of the Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska.
“Yesterday marked 1,000 days since the invasion of Ukraine. A tragic anniversary for the victims and the destruction it caused”declared the Argentine pope at the end of his weekly general audience at the Vatican.
“But at the same time, (it is) a shameful disaster for all humanity”he added in front of the thousands of faithful gathered in Saint Peter's Square, where Olena Zelenska was present alongside the first ladies of Armenia, Lithuania and Serbia.
“However, this should not dissuade us from remaining close to the martyred Ukrainian people, imploring peace and working so that weapons give way to dialogue, and conflict to encounter”declared the Pope again.
► Moscow claims the capture of a new locality in Ukraine
Russia has claimed the capture of a new town near Kurakhové, in eastern Ukraine, one of the sectors of the front where its troops are advancing against a Ukrainian army which has been retreating for several months.
“Following an offensive”Russian forces “liberated the locality of Ilinka” in the Donetsk region, the Russian army said in a statement, cited by Russian news agencies.
► The United States will supply antipersonnel mines to Ukraine
The United States will provide Ukraine with “non-persistent antipersonnel mines” (equipped with a self-destruct or self-deactivation device) to strengthen its defenses against the Russian invasion, a senior US official said.
This decision comes after the green light given on Sunday by President Joe Biden to Ukraine for the use against Russian territory of long-range missiles supplied by the United States.
“They are fully committed to prolonging the war in Ukraine and are doing everything they can to this end”Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov reacted shortly after the announcement.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) denounced the decision “disastrous” of the United States. “Ukraine must make it clear that it cannot and will not accept these weapons”wrote the organization in a press release.
► “We will lose” without American aid, warns Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine would lose against Russia if the United States stopped helping the country, while kyiv and its European allies fear American disengagement under the future presidency of Donald Trump.
“If they cut (the aid), I think we will lose. Of course, we will stay, we will fight (…) but I think that is not enough to survive”declared the Ukrainian leader during an interview with Fox News, the conservatives' favorite American channel.
► Macron denounces Russia’s “escalatory” posture
President Emmanuel Macron denounced a posture “escalatory” of Russia in the war in Ukraine, calling “to reason” Vladimir Putin, who expanded his possibilities for using nuclear weapons.
“Here I really want to call Russia to reason. She has responsibilities as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council”Emmanuel Macron told journalists after a G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. “Russia today is becoming a global destabilizing power”he accused.
