- On Thursday, February 24, 2022, Russia launched its “military operation” in Ukraine. Every evening 20 Minutes offers you a look back at the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
- A powerful statement, a key figure, the underlying trends… Here you will find the essential information to better understand a war of unprecedented proportions on European soil.
- This Thursday, Russia withdrew its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? Every evening at 7:30 p.m. 20 Minutes takes stock for you. Between the strong declarations, the progress on the front and the dramatic results of the fighting, here is the crux of the day.
The fact of the day
Russia has withdrawn its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which was opened for signature in 1996 and ratified by Moscow in 2000. Vladimir Putin finally signed a law this Thursday revoking Russian ratification. At the beginning of October, the Kremlin leader had already considered the possibility of such a repeal in response to the USA, which had never ratified the treaty. “I am not yet ready to say whether we should resume testing or not,” he added, while praising the development of new high-performance missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
France “regretted” the decision, its foreign ministry said. “Since this treaty was opened for signature, the nuclear test ban has become established as a common norm that only North Korea has violated in the 21st century,” the ministry commented. “Russia’s decision jeopardizes work on the generalization of the treaty,” he added, calling on it to “respect the moratorium.”
The number of the day
1. North Korea has provided Russia with more than a million artillery shells for its military operations in Ukraine and in return Pyongyang has received technical advice on its satellites, a South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday, citing Seoul’s intelligence services. Pyongyang and Moscow, two historic allies, are subject to a range of international sanctions: Russia for its offensive in Ukraine and North Korea for its nuclear weapons tests.
Sentence of the day
No, the conflict is not at an impasse. »
These are the words of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “Russia is relentlessly continuing its special military operation. “All set goals must be achieved,” Peskov added, responding to comments made by Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny in an interview with The Economist. “Just like in the First World War, we have reached a technological level where we are at a dead end. “There probably won’t be a grand, profound breakthrough,” he told the British weekly the day before.
Today’s trend
Will the US limit itself to financial support for Israel? Or will they accept the massive amount of funding sought by President Biden for Gaza, Ukraine and partners in Asia? The American Congress begins work on this sensitive issue.
The institution is divided in terms of the type of support it should provide to its allies abroad. Both Democrats and Republicans want to pass immediate military aid to Israel, a longtime partner of the United States that is at war with Hamas. However, things get complicated when it comes to Ukraine. This puts Joe Biden’s promise to continue financial support for Ukraine, which he reiterated during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington in September, at risk. The standoff over these envelopes – which says a lot about America’s question of its role as world policeman – is likely to be tough.