Sunday 19 February 2023
14:00
“MACRON’S WORD HAS LITTLE VALUE”
Russia on Sunday responded to comments made by Emmanuel Macron on Saturday in an interview with JDD, Le Figaro and France Inter. The French President declared that he wanted to “defeat” Russia “without crushing it”. “France did not start with Macron, and the remains of Napoleon, venerated at the state level, rest in the center of Paris,” commented Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. “Macron’s word is worth little,” she said, adding that her words show the West has been in talks about regime change in Russia.
1:35 p.m
FRENCH TANKS ARRIVE IN UKRAINE
The French light tanks promised to Kiev by Paris in early January will be delivered “from the end of next week”. This announcement was made by the Federal Armed Forces Minister, who refrained from naming the number. However, Leclerc heavy tanks and fighter jets, requested by Volodymyr Zelensky, are not on the agenda.
International
Posted today at 11:36 am
12:24
NUCLEAR RISK
François Hollande believes that “there can be no nuclear escalation” over Vladimir Putin’s possible use of nuclear weapons in the current war.
As for Westerners’ nuclear deterrents, François Hollande believes that “the less we talk about them, the better for us.” “Vladimir Putin has a certain clarity. He knows that he risks retaliation if he uses nuclear weapons,” analyzes the former French president.
12:14
TOWARDS A DEFENSE EUROPE?
François Hollande, guest of the LCI-RTL-Le Figaro Grand Jury, calls on Europe to “organize in terms of defence”. “You can’t do that at 27,” he criticizes the integration into this “Europe of Defense” for all member states of the European Union. “Europe must have a tank, an airplane…”, the former President of the Republic still thinks.
Regarding NATO, François Hollande believes that Ukraine should not join the military alliance. “Let’s not leave this pretext to the Russians,” he justifies himself.
12:06
FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE GUEST OF THE GRAND JURY
“The primary security guarantees that must be given apply to Ukraine,” criticizes François Hollande, turning to Emmanuel Macron, who has been talking for a few months about the need to give “security guarantees” within the framework of a “future European security architecture”.
12:05
FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE GUEST OF THE GRAND JURY
“To say that we want Russia to lose (…) is a good word,” said former President François Hollande about the position of Emmanuel Macron, who has been speaking in this direction for a few days. To get potential negotiations going, “you need a balance of power [entre Moscou et Kiev] (…) and defeat Russia,” says François Hollande. “So [la guerre] won’t last long, we have to help Ukraine,” demands the former head of state.
10:34
“NOT NAIVE, STILL GO TO WAR”
“I call on our opposition to be more responsible, but also more patriotic, on these collective security issues,” Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu told Le Parisien on Sunday. “We are not naïve, nor are we going to war. Let us remain true to France’s historical role, as does the President of the Republic.”
10:32
“NO TABOO” ABOUT COMBAT AIRCRAFT
“There is no taboo, and our analysis criteria are known,” replies Sébastien Lecornu, the Parisian army minister, on Sunday when asked about the deliveries of fighter planes desired by Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “The transfer of aircraft raises very complex logistical and practical issues. The Ukrainian demand is part of the need to protect their airspace, as for the surface-to-air defense systems – for which France is at the forefront – and which follows the same logic: create a protective bubble around the battlefield or cities.”
10:25
FRENCH TANKS WILL BE DELIVERED “NEXT WEEK”.
“Training is nearing completion, these armored vehicles will be delivered by the end of next week,” Army Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced Sunday in the Paris columns about the promised AMX-10 light tank to Ukrainians, without giving any details. “I assume not to mention the number in order not to give Russia any strategic information.”
08:24
REVIEW OF THE LAST 24 HOURS
Emmanuel Macon reiterated on Saturday February 18 that he wanted “the defeat” of Russia without “crushing” it, which will “never” be “France’s position”. For the first time since the beginning of the war, the United States has accused Moscow of having committed “crimes against humanity” in Ukraine. The highlights of the last 24 hours.
International
Posted today at 8:19am
08:15
WASHINGTON WARNS BEIJING AGAINST AID TO RUSSIA
In a rare “frank and frank” exchange in Munich, away from the media, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. He warned of “the ramifications and consequences” for Beijing if it were found to be “materially” supporting Russia in its war in Ukraine or helping it evade Western sanctions, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in one report of the interview.
08:13
A “REQUIREMENT” Kiev VICTORY TO A TRANSITION IN MOSCOW
Russian opponents of Vladimir Putin’s regime decided on Saturday that Ukraine’s victory was a “prerequisite” for a democratic transition in Moscow, according to Garry Kasparov. “Liberation from Putin’s fascism is going through Ukraine. The Russians live in a bubble. It can’t be broken unless the idea of empire collapses thanks to a military defeat,” pounded the ex-world chess champion on the sidelines of the security conference in Munich , Germany.