UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – Less than two months before the return of Donald Trump, Ukraine is putting pressure on NATO countries to be invited to join them. On the ground, the army repelled a Russian attempt to cross a river in the east.
The Kremlin warns Ukraine of any desire to join NATO, while Russian attacks cause vast power cuts in western Ukraine. Le Figaro takes stock of the situation in Ukraine on Tuesday, December 3.
Ukraine’s membership in NATO would constitute an “unacceptable” threat to Russia
The Kremlin warned on Tuesday that Ukraine’s membership in NATO would pose a threat “unacceptable” for Russia, while kyiv puts pressure on its Western allies to invite it to join the Alliance.
“Such a potential decision is unacceptable to us, as it would constitute a threatening event for us”judged the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, during a briefing, speaking on the day of a meeting in Brussels of NATO foreign ministers.
NATO membership, “the only real” security guarantee for Ukraine
The “only true” security guarantee for Ukraine is membership “full” to NATO, Ukrainian diplomacy insisted, as the Alliance’s foreign ministers met on Tuesday in Brussels.
“We are convinced that the only real security guarantee for Ukraine, while serving as a deterrent against further Russian aggression against Ukraine and other states, is Ukraine’s full membership in NATO”indicated Ukrainian diplomacy in a press release.
Army says it repelled Russian attempt to cross river in east
The Ukrainian army announced that it had prevented Russian troops from crossing the Oskil River near the eastern city of Kupiansk, a natural barrier that marks the border in this region.
“As a result of a successful operation, the enemy was destroyed. The right bank of the Oskil River is under the control of the forces” Ukrainians, the army general staff said in a statement.
Russian attacks cause widespread power cuts in western Ukraine
New Russian attacks on infrastructure in Ukraine have caused widespread power cuts in the west of the country, hundreds of kilometers from the front line, Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday. During the night from Monday to Tuesday, a Russian drone struck a “electrical infrastructure site” in Ternopil, a city with more than 220,000 inhabitants, indicated its mayor, Serguiï Nadal, on Telegram.
“Part of the city is without electricity”he added, calling on residents to stock up on water and charge their phones. This city was hit on Monday by another drone attack, which killed a civilian and injured at least three, and experienced major power cuts in November that left thousands of people without power.
Another night attack by Moscow targeted the neighboring region of Rivne during the night from Monday to Tuesday, the regional administration said on Telegram. “An energy infrastructure was targeted”said regional governor Oleksandr Koval. The strike did not cause any injuries, he added, without giving details of the damage.
