Ukraine: extreme tensions on the front, Macron tries the last chance interview

After their meeting on February 7 in Moscow, this discussion between the French and Russian presidents constitutes “the last possible and necessary efforts to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine”, underlined the Elysée.

Russia can launch an attack on Ukraine “at any time “, repeats for its part the White House.

US President Joe Biden is due to participate in a rare National Security Council meeting on the Ukrainian crisis on Sunday, a few days before a meeting between his Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Thursday, February 24.

All lights red

But the lights are now red, with NATO saying that “all signs indicate that Russia is planning a full attack” on Ukraine.

Emmanuel Macron spoke on Saturday with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, who says he does not want to “respond to provocations along the line of contact”, according to the Elysée. Volodymyr Zelensky “entrusted him with telling Vladimir Putin Ukraine’s availability for dialogue”, underlined the French presidency.

“Russian military action against Ukraine would bring the war to the heart of Europe,” insisted a French presidential adviser, citing the risk of conflict “in Ukraine and around”. There would then be “no other possible option than a very strong reaction”, he added.

General mobilization

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, who accuse Kiev of wanting to attack them, announced on Saturday a “general mobilization” of men able to fight, after ordering the evacuation of civilians to neighboring Russia.

During the night from Saturday to Sunday, Russian agencies reported artillery fire in the suburbs of Donetsk, in the immediate vicinity of the front line. The Kremlin denies any intention of attacking neighboring Ukraine, which it nevertheless wishes to bring back into its sphere of influence.

Moscow conditions de-escalation on “guarantees” for its security, such as the withdrawal of NATO’s military infrastructure from Eastern Europe and the assurance that Ukraine will never join the Atlantic Alliance, demands unacceptable to Westerners.

Fighting on the Eastern Front

On the front, in eastern Ukraine, the fighting has redoubled. Kiev and Moscow-backed separatists accuse each other of aggravating this conflict which has claimed more than 14,000 lives since 2014.

The Russian region of Rostov, bordering Ukraine, has declared a state of emergency to deal with a possible influx of refugees from separatist areas.

According to the latest figures from the separatists, more than 22,000 people have been evacuated to Russia, a low figure for areas where several hundred thousand people live.

For nearly three months, Washington has been sounding the alarm over preparations for a Russian offensive in Ukraine.

Friday, Joe Biden said to himself, for the first time, “convinced” that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had decided to invade Ukraine “in the next few days”, and that the current increase in clashes on the front line in the east of the country was intended to create a “false justification” for launching the ‘offensive.

“No war with Russia”, “No more war, neither cold nor hot. What we need is love, ”said the signs held up during a small demonstration on Saturday in New York.

In Warsaw, a demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine is scheduled for Sunday at midday, when the Munich Security Conference ends.