Today
Saturday May 13, 2023
11:09 a.m
WHAT WELCOME TO ITALY FOR V. ZELENSKY?
Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Rome on Saturday for a series of meetings with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis. Louise Malnoy, our correspondent in Rome, describes her programme.
Zelenskyy in Italy: What kind of reception for the President of Ukraine in Rome?Source: TF1 Info
11:07
V. ZELENSKY WELCOMED TO ROME
Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome on Saturday. “We renew our commitment alongside the Ukrainian people in defense of freedom and democracy,” he wrote on Twitter.
Italy was named by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We relied on the fiancé of the Ukrainian people, different from freedom and democracy. pic.twitter.com/3Qbc1FhWiv – Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) May 13, 2023
10:36
BERLIN CONFIRMS ARMS DELIVERY TO Kyiv
The federal government announced on Saturday that it is preparing a €2.7 billion military aid plan for Ukraine, which will include the delivery of numerous tanks, armored vehicles and anti-aircraft systems. “We all want a quick end to this cruel war of Russia against the Ukrainian people, but unfortunately it is not in sight. That is why Germany will provide all the help it can for as long as necessary,” announced German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
10:32
V. ZELENSKY WILL MEET POPE FRANCIS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Rome on Saturday, where he will meet his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella. The Ukrainian leader announced on Telegram that he would meet Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis. “An important visit for Ukraine’s victory,” he wrote.
09:25
GERMANY INCREASES ITS MILITARY SUPPORT IN KIEV
Berlin is preparing the largest arms shipment to Ukraine since the start of the war, worth 2.7 billion euros, German daily Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. The official announcement is to be made during the presentation of the Charlemagne Prize to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday near Aachen in the presence of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
09:21
REVIEW OF THE LAST 24 HOURS
Ukraine on Friday maintained gains near the devastated eastern town of Bachmout, the epicenter of fighting with Russian forces. A military breakthrough confirmed by Chief Wagner, who accused the Russian regular army holding the flanks of “fleeing” their positions. The highlights of the last 24 hours.
International
Posted today at 8:44am.
09:17
THE DISCOVERY OF A “POSSIBLE RUSSIAN MISSILE” IN POLAND IS A SCANDAL
In late April, media reports said the remains of a “military air object” — a Russian cruise missile KH-55 capable of carrying nuclear warheads — had been found by a passerby in a forest near Bydgoszcz, which had crashed in December in northern Poland, some 500 km from the eastern border of that city NATO member country removed.
This announcement sparked a political uproar in Warsaw, with the opposition loudly ranting. Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, who had remained silent until then, accused the commander of the forces of neglecting the search for the remains of the “probably Russian” projectile and not informing anyone about the incident. However, he did not call for his resignation or his suspension.
09:13
SIX CHILDREN INJURED IN LOUHANSK
Six children were injured in rocket fire in Luhansk under Russian occupation on Friday. “Four of them received full assistance and two teenagers were hospitalized with moderate injuries,” said Leonid Passechnik, leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine. Kiev has not confirmed a possible attack on Russian forces.
07:11
A CHINESE MISSIONARY SENT TO KIEV AND MOSCOW
China announced on Friday that Chinese ambassador Li Hui, special envoy for Eurasian affairs, will discuss “a political solution to the Ukraine crisis” in Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany and Russia starting Monday. “It fully shows that China stands firmly on the side of peace,” said Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry.
Li Hui, 70 and former ambassador to Russia for ten years (2009-2019), is the most senior Chinese diplomat to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. His name was announced in late April during a phone call between the Chinese and Ukrainian presidents, the first since the conflict began.
07:07
THE RUSSIAN “HAVE ALREADY LOST THE WAR”, JUDGE V. ZELENSKY
Russians “have already lost this war in their minds,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Friday. “We have to put pressure on them daily so that their sense of defeat turns into flight, mistakes, losses,” he added during his speech on Telegram. According to him, they are “already ready internally for defeat”.
07:04
V. ZELENSKY WILL NOT TALK AT EUROVISION, LONDON ‘DISAPPOINTED’
The British government said on Friday it was “disappointed” that Eurovision Song Contest organizers had decided to block Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from speaking at the event’s final in Liverpool on Saturday.
“The Prime Minister believes that it would have been okay if President Zelenskyy spoke during the event,” said a spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “The values and freedoms that President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people are fighting for in Ukraine are not political, they are fundamental,” he added.
The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest themselves “recognized this last year by suspending Russia’s participation in the competition,” Downing Street said. As with the 2022 edition, Russia was excluded from the competition this year.
07:01
A significant breakthrough on the Eastern Front
According to the Defense Ministry, the Russian army is retreating north of Bachmout to regroup on “more advantageous defensive positions”. Ukraine took the opportunity to make a significant breakthrough near the epicenter of fighting on the Eastern Front. The leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigoyine, accused the Russian troops of fleeing.
Bakhmout: Major breakthrough for UkrainiansSource: TF1 Info
06:57
V. ZELENSKY EXPECTS A “POSSIBLE” MEETING WITH THE POPE IN ROME
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected in Rome on Saturday for meetings with political leaders as part of his first visit to Italy since the Russian invasion. A spokesman for the Italian Presidency confirmed to AFP that Head of State Sergio Mattarella will meet his Ukrainian counterpart, without giving further details for security reasons. A Vatican source also said on Friday that a meeting with the Pope was “possible”.
06:54
IN BAKHMOUT: “THE RUSSIAN FRONT COLLAPSES”
Ukraine on Friday made gains near the devastated town of Bakhmout, a scene of fighting in the east of the country. The head of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigoyine, confirmed this and accused the Russian regular army holding the flanks of “fleeing” their positions. “Taking Bachmout will not bring anything to Russia, because the flanks are crumbling and the front is collapsing,” he was alarmed in a video and accused the Russian general staff of wanting to “water down” the situation.