UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – Emmanuel Macron, this week called on Ukrainians to “conduct realistic discussions on territorial issues” to find a settlement to the conflict with Russia.
Socialist deputies spoke on Wednesday December 8 about Emmanuel Macron’s statements on the war in Ukraine. An oil spill hits Crimea, causing the risk of a massive arrival of cetaceans on the coasts. Wildlife is already showing itself to be impacted. Russia orders the closure of the Polish consulate in St. Petersburg. Le Figaro takes stock of the situation.
Socialist deputies react to the French president’s remarks
The socialist deputies expressed this Wednesday, January 8, their “deep concern” after the words of Emmanuel Macron, who this week called on the Ukrainians to “conduct realistic discussions on territorial issues” to find a settlement to the conflict with Russia.
“This declaration, completely unwelcome since it is full of innuendo, forces socialist and related deputies to express their deep concern”they wrote in a press release.
Ukraine must “recover its full sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders in 1991. That is to say with Crimea and Donbass”they added. “No one can accept the annexation of part of Ukrainian national territory by Russia.” The French president spoke on Monday to French ambassadors gathered at the Élysée.
The oil spill in Crimea raises fears of the massive arrival of fuel oil on the coasts
Russian authorities in annexed Ukrainian Crimea said this Wednesday, January 8, that they feared a massive arrival of fuel oil on the coasts of the peninsula, affected by an oil spill caused by the sinking, more than three weeks ago, of two oil tankers. “There is a strong risk that the situation will worsen and that the scale of the crisis will become comparable to that in the Russian region of Krasnodar”estimated the Russian leader of Crimea, Sergei Aksionov.
On December 15, two oil tankers ran aground during a storm in the Kerch Strait, between Russia and Crimea, causing massive pollution which, for the moment, has mainly affected the coasts of the Russian region of Krasnodar. But it then also reached Crimea, in particular the large port city of Sevastopol, located around 250 km from the disaster site.
“The main goal is not to let oil products reach the shore and to use all available means to eliminate pollution in the water”Aksionov said on Wednesday. The head of the Republic of Crimea called for coordination “clearly” the work of small vessels currently deployed to remove pollution and continue aerial observation «permanente». The official also raised the possibility of creating a second center to care for birds victims of the oil spill and collected in Crimea.
Several cetaceans were found dead in Sevastopol and Sochi
Several cetaceans were also found dead in Sevastopol, Pavel Kharlamov, a local deputy and head of a group of volunteers cleaning the beaches, said on Wednesday January 8. Questioned by the TASS news agency, he said that “several” cetaceans had been found dead and their remains were being “evacuated”. He did not specify their number or their species.
On Sunday, a specialized NGO based in Sochi, in southwest Russia, said that more than 30 cetaceans had been found dead since the start of the disaster, citing “a high number” et “atypical”. These victims are mainly Black Sea porpoises (Phocoena phocoena relicta), an already endangered species.
Russian authorities and volunteers are carrying out a massive clean-up campaign, involving thousands of people, but the situation continues to cause concern. More than 118,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been removed from dozens of kilometers of beaches on the Russian coast, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry reported Tuesday.
Poland announces the closure of its consulate in Saint Petersburg
Poland announced on Wednesday the closure of its consulate in Saint Petersburg, in north-west Russia, ordered by Moscow in retaliation for that of its consulate in Poznan, announced in October by Warsaw which denounced “sabotage attempts”.
“The closing ceremony of the consular post in St. Petersburg took place today”indicated the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the X network. According to Warsaw “this is a retaliatory measure” applied by Moscow.
Acts of sabotage by Russia
On October 22, Warsaw ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Poznan (east) on the grounds of alleged attempts to «sabotage» led by Russia“in Poland and allied countries”. In December, Polish diplomacy declared itself ready to close all Russian consulates in Poland if acts of “terrorism” continued.
Several people of various nationalities have been arrested or sentenced in Poland in recent months for acts of sabotage carried out, according to Warsaw, on behalf of Russian intelligence services. They were accused of beatings, setting or attempted arson, preparing to derail a train carrying aid to neighboring Ukraine, and observing military installations and infrastructure. reviews.
