War in Ukraine: lions rescued, accusations from Vladimir Putin, denial from the Kremlin… an update on the situation

Vladimir Poutine avance que ce sont des missiles américains ou européen qui ont abattu l'avion près de Belgorod. MAXPPP – ALEXEI DANICHEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Friday, January 26, 2024, discover the latest news around this conflict.

Kremlin denies Putin approach to end war in Ukraine

The Kremlin this Friday denied a Bloomberg article according to which Russian President Vladimir Putin had approached the United States with a view to possible negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Bloomberg article says Vladimir Putin "was testing the waters"to find out if Washington was ready to engage in negotiations. The Russian president contacted the United States through indirect channels, adds Bloomberg.

The article cites two sources close to the Kremlin as saying that Vladimir Putin "may consider abandoning his demand to maintain a neutral status for Ukraine and even, ultimately, abandon its opposition to Ukraine's membership in NATO'.

The threat of Kiev joining the transatlantic alliance was one of the main justifications for Russia's invasion of the US. #39;Ukraine. Asked about the Bloomberg report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was an erroneous article. ;quot; which "does absolutely not correspond to reality".

Putin says French or American missiles shot down plane near Belgorod

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the military plane that crashed Wednesday in the Belgorod region, near Ukraine, had been shot down, deliberately or by mistake, by Ukrainian air defense using American or French missiles.

Russia claims that this Ilyushin Il-76 was carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian soldiers who were to be handed over to kyiv as part of a prisoner exchange. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied having shot down this plane. She disputes the Russian version on the circumstances of the plane's fall and the status of the passengers.

Vladimir Putin declared that the conclusions of the Russian investigation would be published within two or three days but that, according to the first elements collected, the missiles which brought down the Russian device were American or French.

Three lions survived the war and were transferred to France

Two weeks ago, it was Yampil, a Ukrainian bear who had found refuge in Scotland, this Friday, three lions are arrived at the Auxois Animal Park in Arnay-sous-Vitteaux in Burgundy. They survived the war in Ukraine and were saved after a long transfer to France, reports BFMTV.

Atlas, a two and a half year old lion, and the two lionesses Luladja and Queen, around two years old, arrived in Côte d'Or on the morning of this Friday after a journey of almost 90 hours from Ukraine. They have survived constant Russian bombardment since the war began in February 2022.

Obviously, important precautions are taken to avoid any trauma to the animals. However, fighting continues on the front lines in Ukraine against Russia. "There are probably still dozens of them in Ukraine, where it is legal to&# 39;having big cats", laments Charlotte von Croÿ.