95% of Ukrainians confident in the victory of their country, Putin acclaimed by tens of thousands of people, Biden denounces the suspension of Russia's participation in the New Start treaty... Le Figaro takes stock this Wednesday, February 22
on
the latest information related to the war in Ukraine.
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After a year of war, 95% of Ukrainians confident of victory
95% of Ukrainians believe in their country's victory against Russia, according to a poll conducted in early February by the Ukrainian institute Rating Group, which shows that the country's determination is not diminishing after a year of war.
At the same time, 97% of Ukrainians surveyed say they trust their army (compared to 65% in 2019) and 90% in their president, Volodymyr Zelensky (36% in January 2022), according to this survey.
Read alsoFrom the battle of kyiv to the trenches of Vouhledar, the 72nd Ukrainian brigade on the front line
While 17% of the population said they had lost a loved one killed in the war, more than half (58%) considered it "impossible
"
to restore friendly relations with the Russians and Belarusians, whose country is an ally of Moscow.
For 22%, such a recovery is possible “
in 20 to 30 years
” and for 11%, “
in 10 to 15 years
”.
Two-thirds of Ukrainians saw a deterioration in their economic situation and 36% said they had lost their jobs.
The share of Ukrainians living apart from their relatives due to the war, on the other hand, has fallen, from 41% in March 2022 to 21% a year later.
The survey was carried out in February among a “
representative sample
” of more than 1,600 Ukrainians living in various regions of the country with the exception of the territories occupied by Russia in Crimea and in the East.
Russia fights in Ukraine for its 'historic lands', Putin proclaims
Tens of thousands of people gathered at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on Wednesday to attend the mega “
patriotic
” concert organized for the first anniversary of the start of the military campaign in Ukraine.
Russia is currently fighting in Ukraine for its "
historic lands
", proclaimed Russian President Vladimir Putin there.
"
Today, the (military) hierarchy told me that fighting was underway within our historic lands for our people
," Vladimir Putin said on stage.
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During his appearance, which lasted only a few minutes, the Head of State also paid tribute to the Russian soldiers deployed in Ukraine who “are
fighting with heroism, courage and valor: we are proud of them
”.
He claimed that all those who supported the Russian army were "
also defenders of the fatherland, in a way
".
They are "
medical workers, employees of the defense sector, transport (...) All of you, who have come today to support our fighters
".
” SEE ALSO – War in Ukraine: Russia fights for its “historic lands”, proclaims Putin
China outlines to Russia its vision for the “political settlement” of the conflict
China has presented to Russia its vision for "
the political settlement
" of the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, after the trip to Moscow by the head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi.
"
The Chinese partners shared with us their thoughts on the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis, as well as their approaches to its political settlement
," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“
There was no question of a separate (peace) 'plan
',” he noted, however.
Vladimir Putin and the head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi, this Wednesday.
SPUTNIK / REUTERS
For his part, a senior Ukrainian official said that the Chinese government did not consult Kyiv while preparing its peace plan, supposed to be made public this week.
"
China did not consult us
," said the official, who requested anonymity to several media outlets, including AFP.
Beijing has promised to publish its proposal for a “
political solution
” this week, in time for the first anniversary of the launch of the Russian offensive in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kouleba, who met his counterpart Chinese Wang Yi in Germany, revealed Tuesday in Brussels that the latter had "
informed him of the key elements of the Chinese peace plan
".
"
We are waiting to receive this text to study it in detail, because we cannot draw conclusions after only an oral presentation
", added Dmytro Kouleba.
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Ukrainian first lady pleads at UN for creation of special court
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska pleaded in a video message to the UN on Wednesday for the creation of a special tribunal so that an "
aggression
" such as the Russian invasion of her country "
cannot happen again
".
“
I think you will all agree that regardless of country or nationality, you have the right not to be killed in your own homes
,” she said in this message released at an event. special report on human rights violations in Ukraine one year after the Russian invasion.
Olena Zelenska and her husband Volodymyr Zelensky.
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER / REUTERS
"
But Ukrainians have been killed in front of the eyes of the whole world for a year, in their cities, villages, apartments, hospitals, theaters,
" she added, defending
Ukraine's right to "
self-defense ".
“
That is why I call on the United Nations to establish a special tribunal for Russian crimes of aggression.
We're not the only ones who need it, it's for everyone.
So that it can't happen again
."
Ukrainians have been pushing for months for the creation of such a tribunal to try those responsible for the invasion of Ukraine.
Suspension of the New Start treaty by Moscow: “Serious mistake”, according to Biden
US President Joe Biden called
Russia's suspension of its participation in the New Start nuclear disarmament treaty a "
serious mistake " in Warsaw on Wednesday.
Asked by a journalist about this announcement from Moscow, Joe Biden first joked that he had "no
time
" then after a brief pause, he said: "
serious mistake
".
The two chambers of the Russian Parliament on Wednesday acted on the suspension of the New Start treaty, a decision announced the day before by President Vladimir Putin and denounced in unison by the Western powers.
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The Wagner group calls on the Russians to pressure the army to provide them with ammunition
The boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner on Wednesday urged the Russians to put pressure on the army to provide ammunition to his men, an unprecedented call which illustrates the extent of the tensions between the mercenaries and the Russian general staff.
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"
If every Russian at his level - to (avoid) calling anyone to demonstrate - simply said 'Give Wagner shells', (...) then that would already be important," said the man
of Evguéni Prigojine cases in an audio recording released by his press service.
This call is unprecedented in Russia, where even individual criticism of the Kremlin or the army is harshly repressed.
Yevgeny Prigojine has been accusing the Russian high command for several days of not providing ammunition to his men who are on the front line in the battle for the city of Bakhmout, in eastern Ukraine.