EU will continue to support Ukraine “as long as necessary”
While Volodymyr Zelensky again called on his Western allies on Monday to speed up their arms shipments to Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated her support for him on Tuesday during a speech at the Davos World Economic Forum. Follow the latest developments in the war in Ukraine hour by hour.
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11:39: EU will continue to support Ukraine “as long as necessary”
“The European Union will continue to support Ukraine “as long as necessary”, assured European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on the sidelines of the Davos Economic Forum.
“Our unwavering support for Ukraine will never stop. Whether that’s helping restore electricity, heat and water supplies, or preparing for long-term reconstruction efforts,” he said.
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10:36 a.m.: Zelensky’s adviser resigns after commenting on Dnipro
Oleksi Arestovitch, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, resigned after outrage in Ukraine over his assertion that the Russian missile that killed at least 41 people on the Dnipro was shot down by Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defenses.
The adviser announced his resignation on Facebook after publicly apologizing and stepping down in a Telegram post. “I sincerely apologize to the victims and their relatives, to the residents of Dnipro and to anyone who was deeply hurt by my initial erroneous version of the reasons for the Russian missile attack on a residential building.”
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10:20: Russia promises “significant changes” in its army by 2026
Russia announced on Tuesday that it would implement “significant changes” in its army by 2026, particularly in its composition, while its workforce should be increased to 1.5 million soldiers.
“Only by strengthening the main structural components of the Armed Forces can the country’s military security be ensured and protect new entities and important equipment of the Russian Federation,” assured Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
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09:59: death toll rises to 41 after Russian Dnipro attack, another 25 missing
The lifeless body of a child was found Tuesday morning on the Dnipro, three days after a Russian attack gutted a residential building, killing at least 41 people, while 25 people are still missing.
According to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, adviser to the presidency of Ukraine, at this stage “41 people have died (including 4 children), 79 people have been injured (including 16 children) and 39 people have been rescued (including 6 children)” in the aftermath of this attack, one of the deadliest for civilians since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. a huge concrete slab of more than twenty people, whose fate is still unknown.
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09:37: Ukraine will be the German Minister of Defense’s next priority
The first item on the German Minister of Defense’s next agenda is whether to send battle tanks to Ukraine, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on the radio on Tuesday’s Deutschlandfunk, as pressure on Berlin intensifies.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht resigned on Monday amid increasing pressure on her government to allow allies to send heavy tanks to Ukraine.
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09:01: Russian Minister of Defense examines the troops involved in the Ukraine attack
The Russian Defense Minister inspected troops participating in the offensive in Ukraine, during a trip to the area of the military operation launched in late February in Russia’s neighbour, the Russian army said on Tuesday.
Sergei Shoigu went to the headquarters of the Vostok military group, where he met the commander of this group and people from other units. He was given a report on the situation on the ground and “progress in carrying out combat duties in major directions”, according to the same source.
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08:15: “Ukrainians fear the new Zaporijjia”, explains Gulliver Cragg, 24th French correspondent in kyiv
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has been in Ukraine since Monday to install the new system, which provides for the permanent presence of experts at the country’s four operating nuclear power plants. , as well as in Chernobyl . This is enough to answer the concerns of Ukrainian citizens, who fear that new nuclear power plants, such as Zaporijjia, will fall into Russian hands.
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7:13 a.m.: Russian and Belarusian flags banned at the Australian Open
The Australian Tennis Federation on Tuesday banned the Russian and Belarusian flags from the Australian Open, following a request from the Ukrainian ambassador for action after they were spotted in the crowd.
The Russian tricolor was spotted on Monday, the first day of the Australian Open, during a first-round match between Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl and Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova. In the stands, the Ukrainian fans then called on the security services and the police to react.
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12:55 p.m.: visit of senior American diplomats to kyiv
A senior US diplomat traveled to Kyiv on Monday, where he met President Volodymyr Zelensky and assured him of Washington’s “unwavering commitment” to Ukraine, the US State Department said.
Assistant Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials “to reaffirm the United States’ strong and unwavering commitment to Ukraine and its defense against Russia’s unprovoked aggression,” State Department spokeswoman Ned Price said in a statement.
Wendy Sherman led a delegation to the Ukrainian capital, where she notably met Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, to discuss assistance to be provided to strengthen Ukraine’s security apparatus, to the economy and to develop a lasting bilateral trade partnership with the United States. The delegation also “heard from young Ukrainians who have adapted their businesses and activities to support their fellow citizens, while envisioning Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction,” according to a State Department statement.
With AFP and Reuters
