RECAP. War in Ukraine: fear of chemical weapons, more than 4 million displaced children … The point on the – LaDepeche.fr

the essentials The UN votes a resolution demanding from Russia an “immediate” end to the war in Ukraine, more than 4 million children have had to leave their homes in Ukraine, an emergency plan in the face of the risk of famine in several countries… We take stock of the situation of the Ukrainian conflict this Thursday evening, March 24th. The UN “demands” from Russia an “immediate” end to the war in Ukraine A second “historic” resolution but which remains non-binding: the UN General Assembly adopted, on Thursday March 24, with an overwhelming majority of 140 votes, a new text which “demands” from Russia an “immediate” end to the war in Ukraine which began a month ago. Thirty-eight countries abstained and five voted against, including Russia, Syria and North Korea. The text, debated since Wednesday morning and finally adopted, “demands an immediate cessation of hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in particular of all attacks against civilians and civilian objects”. The resolution “reiterates the call of the Secretary General (of the UN Antonio Guterres, editor’s note) that the Russian Federation stop its military offensive, as well as his call for the establishment of a ceasefire and to the resumption of the path of dialogue and negotiations”. An emergency plan for food security To respond to a risk of “famine” that the war in Ukraine could cause in many countries, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed this Thursday an emergency plan for food security, in agreement with the G7. He called on Moscow to be “responsible” by allowing sowing in Ukraine to take place, failing which the war will cause in 12 to 18 months “an inevitable famine”, with in particular the risk of grain shortages in Egypt and South Africa. North. Fear of a use of chemical weapons US President Joe Biden promised Thursday for the first time a “response” from NATO in the conflict in Ukraine if Russia used chemical weapons there, a risk deemed very real at the alliance and G7 summits meeting in Brussels today. A risk of chemical attack, against which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned them Thursday in a video intervention from kyiv, where he is entrenched. The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has also indicated that the allies had “agreed to provide equipment to help Ukraine protect itself against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats”. “This could include detection, equipment, protection and medical support, as well as training in contamination and crisis management,” he said. “We are also improving the readiness of Allied forces. The Supreme Commander of the Alliance’s military forces, General Walters, has activated NATO’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense elements and our allies are deploying means of defense to reinforce the forces of the Battle Groups.” More than half of children in Ukraine have been displaced Some 4.3 million children – more than half of Ukraine’s child population – have had to leave their homes to flee insecurity and fighting sparked by the invasion of the Russian army on February 24, Unicef ​​said on Thursday.
“A month of war in Ukraine has displaced 4.3 million children – more than half of the country’s estimated child population of 7.5 million,” the UN Children’s Fund said. in a press release. Some 1.8 million children have thus crossed the border to take refuge in neighboring countries and 2.5 million are displaced within Ukraine. “The war has caused one of the fastest large-scale displacements of children since the Second World War,” said UNICEF chief executive Catherine Russell. At least 81 children have been killed in Ukraine and 108 injured, according to the latest tally released Wednesday by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which stresses that the actual tolls are probably much higher. The G7 will do everything possible to hold Vladimir Putin and his supporters “to account” The G7 countries, meeting on Thursday, declared that they would “spare no effort” so that Vladimir Putin, “and the architects and supporters of this aggression, including the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, are held to account” for the invasion of Ukraine. Determined to “fully” apply the unprecedented sanctions already announced against Russia, the G7 also said it was ready to take “further measures if necessary”. Assuring also to have “no grievance” towards the Russian population. “It is President Putin, his government and his supporters, including the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, who are imposing this war and its consequences on the Russians,” the G7 countries said. “It is their decision that tarnishes the history of the Russian people,” they said. The seven member countries also expressed concern about an increase in “repression against the Russian people”.