War in Ukraine: Olympic truce, interview of Zelensky, village seized in the Kharkiv region… update on the situation

Le point sur la situation ce 18 mai 2024. (illustration) MAXPPP – Ukraine Presidency/Ukrainian Pre

Tous les jours, Midi Libre fait le point sur la situation en Ukraine. Ce samedi 18 mai 2024, découvrez les dernières actualités autour de ce conflit.

Russia claims to have seized a village in the Kharkiv region

Russia said on Saturday it had seized a village near Vovchansk, in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, where the Russian army launched a new offensive last week.

"Units of the northern grouping liberated the village of Staritsa in the Kharkiv region and continue their advance deep into the defensive positions of the Army. enemy", the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Zelensky interview

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave an exclusive interview to AFP on Friday and discussed various issues concerning the conflict between his country and Russia.

🇺🇦 Le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky a dit s'attendre, dans un entretien exclusif à l'AFP, à une offensive russe plus large dans le Nord et dans l'Est qui viserait à prendre Kharkiv, régions où Moscou poursuit son assaut d'ampleur lancé le 10 mai #AFPVertical ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ARrKfcj7uP

— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) May 18, 2024

He explained that there was a shortage of men and that this was affecting the morale of the troops, while a new law on mobilization comes into force on Saturday to replenish the ranks of the army. "We must fill the reserves. There are a significant number of brigades which are empty. We have to do it so that the guys (who are on the front) can have normal rotations. That's how morale will improve, he said.

Russia does not have the means to launch a new large-scale assault against Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled on Friday, while Moscow is on the offensive in the offensive. ;East and North-East of Ukraine. "They do not have the forces for a large-scale offensive on the capital as they did at the beginning of the war. invasion", estimated Zelensky, who thinks that Donbass (east) and Kharkiv (north-east) are the Kremlin's main targets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday criticized the West for prohibiting Ukraine from using weapons supplied by Europe and the United States United to strike Russian territory. "They can hit us from their territory, this is the biggest advantage Russia has, and we can't do anything to their (weapons) systems located on Russian territory with Western weapons. We do not have the right to do so", he indicated, stressing that he had complained about it again this week to the Secretary of State. American State, Antony Blinken.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that the West was "scared" as well as #39;a Russian defeat than a Ukrainian defeat, a situation he describes as'"absurd". "We find ourselves in an absurd situation where the West is afraid that Russia will lose the war. And (at the same time) he doesn't want Ukraine to lose it. Because the final victory of Ukraine will lead to the defeat of Russia. And the final victory of Russia will lead to the defeat of Ukraine", he said.

Olympic truce rejected by Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated, in an interview with AFP on Friday, that he had rejected the idea of "truce&quot ; in the war with Russia during the Paris Olympic Games that French President Emmanuel Macron wanted. "I'said: Emmanuel, we don't believe it. Let's imagine for a second that there is a ceasefire. First, we don't trust (Vladimir) Putin. Second, he is not going to withdraw his troops. Third, tell me Emmanuel, I said, who guarantees that Russia will not take advantage of this to bring its troops to our territory", said Volodymyr Zelensky, rejecting a "truce that would play into the hands of the enemy".

"We are not against a truce, we are not against the end of the war. But we want a just end to this war. And we are against a truce which would play into the hands of the enemy, he added.

A few hours earlier, the Russian president, traveling in China, had implied that he was opposed to an Olympic truce because his country was banned from the Olympics because of its invasion of the ;#39;Ukraine. "International sports officials are today violating the principles of the Olympic Charter (…) with regard to Russia by preventing our athletes from participating in the Olympic Games under their flag, with their national anthem, but they want us to comply with the rules they impose on us", he declared. "To demand something from others, you must respect the rules yourself", he concluded.

Emmanuel Macron assured that he wanted "to do everything" to have an Olympic truce across the world during the Olympics. He said that President Xi Jinping had given him his support in early May. MM. Xi and Putin, who met at length in Beijing on Thursday, did not publicly discuss the subject.