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 Tuesday, December 3, 2024, the 1014th day of the war.
Fact of the day
Dilemma for the heads of Western diplomacy meeting for two days at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Less than two months before the arrival of Donald Trump, and hypothetical peace negotiations, Ukraine is putting pressure on them to obtain membership in the Alliance, the only “guarantee” in its eyes of lasting security. But integrating Ukraine carries the risk of turning Russia on its head and provoking a dangerous escalation. “I think that joining NATO would once again reinforce tension and the possibility of new conflicts tomorrow,” judges Luxembourg Minister of Foreign Affairs Xavier Bettel.
Moreover, realizing that the moment was important, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday that it considered that such accession would constitute an “unacceptable” threat. This explains the caution of Mark Rutt, the head of NATO, on the subject. For the moment, he has just said that the process leading Ukraine into the Alliance was “irreversible”.
The other risk for NATO is to upset Donald Trump by closing the file before his arrival. “Such a gesture before the arrival of the new administration would infuriate Trump and he would immediately take the opposite view,” recognizes a European NATO diplomat.
Today's statement
« Like it or not, you have me and you have us until January 20, every minute, every day. » »
The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, is participating in what is undoubtedly his very last NATO meeting. While he can undoubtedly be proud that the Atlantic Alliance has been strengthened since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Trump's shadow hangs over this latest trip. For this 62-year-old diplomat in body and soul, a Francophile, who has tirelessly traveled the world over the past four years, including several visits to kyiv, this meeting is the final opportunity to weigh in on the outcome of the Russian-Russian conflict. Ukrainian, which Donald Trump promises to resolve “in twenty-four hours”.
“You have been a faithful ally and people appreciate you very much,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Antony Blinken before their meeting on Tuesday.
The number of the day
20. The number of new anti-aircraft defense systems that Ukraine would like NATO to provide, while it suffers from incessant attacks by Russian drones on energy infrastructure. According to Andriï Sybiga, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, to counter them, “urgent deliveries of additional systems such as Hawks, Nasams, or Iris-T” are needed. “This will help us avoid a blackout,” he added.
Today's trend
Russian drones continue their harassment. New nighttime 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 announced on Tuesday. A Russian drone notably struck an “electrical infrastructure site” in Ternopil, a city with more than 220,000 inhabitants, its mayor, Serguiï Nadal, said on Telegram. Another night attack by Moscow targeted the neighboring Rivne region, the regional administration said on Telegram.
Our file on the war in Ukraine
In addition, three people died in the eastern region of Donetsk, following Russian artillery fire and drone attacks.
Finally, the Russian army continues to encroach on ground. She claimed the conquest of two new villages. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, these are Romanivka in the Donetsk region (east), approximately 9 kilometers from the important town of Kurakhové, and Novodarivka, in the Zaporizhia region (south).
