12:27
Images of the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad
This Thursday, Russia is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, a major turning point in World War II.
In the context of the war in Ukraine, these celebrations are particularly exploited by the Kremlin, while Vladimir Putin does not hesitate to draw a parallel between the resistance against Hitler and the offensive against Kyiv.
11:56
Kremlin does not rule out renaming Volgograd Stalingrad
After 60 years of de-Stalinization, Vladimir Putin and his supporters may well turn their backs. In fact, while the regime has been celebrating the heroism of Soviet soldiers in Stalingrad and their victory since Wednesday, its spokesman told Russia’s Ria Novosti agency that the Kremlin does not rule out giving the city its old name back.
The industrial agglomeration in southern Russia was renamed Volgograd in 1961 – after the Volga River that flows through it – a few years after the ruling Communist Party began denouncing the crimes of Stalinism. Dmitry Peskov merely pointed out that before making such a decision one had to “weigh the pros and cons”.
11:45
For Lavrov, the United States “subdued the European Union”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke to Russia 24 and RIA Novosti. He increased combative statements.
“If you want peace, be ready to defend yourself,” he said, paraphrasing a Latin maxim.
“Moscow is preparing the material for the anniversary of the special operation (the term used by the Russian government to describe the war, editor’s note) so that it does not turn into an anti-Russian Western coalition,” he threatened. “The West hopes to strategically defeat Russia so it cannot recover for decades. We are in the middle of a geopolitical battle,” he said.
And behind “the West” Sergey Lavrov sees above all the hand of the United States: “The United States has subjugated the European Union and deprived it of every sign of independence, with a totalitarian conception of democracy”.
“The more arms the West supplies to the Kiev regime, the further it has to move away from Russian territory,” he said. He also expressed doubts about the German veto on Ukraine’s request for fighter jets: “Scholz, who has promised not to send any planes to Ukraine, is known for his ability to switch positions.”
11:31
The Russian-language press reveals that the statue of Stalin unveiled in Volgograd stands 100m from a memorial to his victims
Eighty years to the day this Thursday, February 2nd, Nazi troops led by Marshal Paulus surrendered to Soviet forces in Stalingrad, at the end of one of the most ruthless battles in history.
While those Wednesdays and Thursdays were declared public holidays locally – in this city on the banks of the Volga that now goes by the name of Volgograd – a bust honoring Stalin was unveiled on Wednesday during celebrations celebrating Vladimir Putin’s regime revealed wants to find particular resonance in connection with the war in Ukraine.
Meduza, a Russian-language news site based in Latvia, announced on Thursday that it was barely 120 meters from a memorial to the victims of the tyrant’s oppression.
11:16
The Ukrainian authorities welcome the arrival of the President of the European Commission and the EU Foreign Minister
Anton Geraschenko, Advisor to the Interior Ministry, welcomed the joint arrival of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Josep Borrell, Head of EU Diplomacy.
“Kyiv welcomes Ursula von der Leyen and Josep Borrell – they come to Ukraine to exchange views with members of the government and to express their support for our country,” he wrote on Telegram.
Josep Borrell announced his arrival a little earlier on Twitter.
“Arrived in Kyiv to carry the strongest European message of support for all Ukrainians defending their country. European aid has reached 50 billion since the start of the war in Russia,” he wrote in particular.
“Europe has stood by Ukraine since day one,” he continued, before addressing the Ukrainians directly: “And will continue to stand by you to win the war and rebuild.”
10:20
“Putin will never attack NATO”: Ukraine’s defense minister does not believe the conflict will escalate
Oleksiy Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukrainebelieves that the Moscow was to “attempt an offensive” around February 24., symbolic date of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion. However, according to the representative of Kyiv, the conflict should remain limited to Ukrainian territory and not spread to neighboring countries.
“I think it’s out of the question, and I’ll tell you why. Putin sees how effective NATO weapons are, and in limited numbers, and how he’s losing,” he argues.
>> See our full article here.
9:39
The head of Russian diplomacy accuses the West of wanting to put an end to the “Russian question”.
The head of Russian diplomacy Sergey Lavrov this Thursday accused the West of helping Ukraine to end the “Russian question”, citing European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, who was visiting Kyiv.
Ursula von der Leyen “said that the outcome of the war must be Russia’s defeat, and a defeat from which it has not recovered for decades,” Sergei Lavrov denounced in a television interview.
“Isn’t that racism, National Socialism and an attempt to solve the Russian question?” he asks.
9:13
Austria expels four Russian diplomats for behavior “incompatible” with their “status”.
Four Russian diplomats, including two accredited to the United Nations in Vienna, will be expelled from Austria, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
They acted “in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status,” according to the same source.
The expulsion of diplomats is very rare in Austria, a neutral country traditionally close to Russia before invading Ukraine.
9:00 am
Russia is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Battle of Stalingrad this Thursday
Russia this Thursday marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, a symbol of patriotism propagated by the Kremlin.
The battle, which took place between 1942 and 1943, is considered one of the bloodiest in history, with around two million dead on both sides. It is still glorified by Russia, which claims the legacy of the Soviet Union as the event that saved Europe from Nazism.
According to the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin will travel to Volgograd to attend the celebrations.
8:47
European Commission President pledges EU support to Ukraine upon arrival in Kyiv
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged the EU’s full support to Ukraine as she arrived in Kyiv on Thursday accompanied by her commissioners for a meeting on the eve of the EU-Ukraine summit.
“Good to be back in Kyiv, my fourth time since the Russian invasion and this time with my steward team,” she wrote on Twitter.
“We are here together to show that the EU stands firmly with Ukraine,” she added.
8:42
Poland agrees to send fighter jets to Ukraine with NATO
Poland is ready to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine if there is a consensus within NATO, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday.
“If there were a decision by all (member states) of NATO, I would be in favor of sending these fighter jets,” Mateusz Morawiecki said in an interview with the German daily Bild.
Last week, the West reached a peak in military aid to Ukraine when Germany and the United States finally announced shipments of heavy tanks.
8:39
At least 2 dead in strike on apartment building in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine
Rescue workers are active at dawn this Thursday to try to find survivors in the rubble of a residential building in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, which was destroyed by a Russian attack that killed at least two people.
The strike took place around 9:45 p.m. (8:45 p.m. French time) on Wednesday against eight buildings in central Kramatorsk, one of which collapsed completely, Donetsk police said on their Facebook account. About 100 police officers were deployed to search the rubble.
8:36
Hello everyone!
Welcome to this direct message dedicated to the news of this Thursday, February 2nd, about the Russian offensive in Ukraine.