Headlines: still no breakthrough in the Ukrainian crisis, even if Putin evokes “compromises”
Audio 05:19
Russian President Vladimir Putin, during the press conference given with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron after their interview, on February 7, 2022 in Moscow.
© AP/Thibault Camus
By: Véronique Rigolet Follow
4 mins
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Six hours of discussions on the evening of Monday February 7 between Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin in Moscow will “
not have led to a breakthrough on the Ukrainian file
”, headlines
The Guardian
, even if “
the talks have shown some signs of progress
“, notes the British daily.
"
The Russian president saying he is open to examining French proposals
", but "
while severely criticizing NATO's open door
", which constitutes "
a real threat against Russia
", lambasted Vladimir Putin.
“
Putin warns the West and Ukraine, and keeps his intentions a secret
,” also comments
The
New York Times
, which reports that the Russian president “
issued a stark warning about the possibility of all-out war between Russia and the West
", while leaving "
the world in uncertainty as to its intentions
".
"
He still hasn't ruled out an invasion of Ukraine
," underlines the
Washington Post
, which is concerned "
that in the absence of a diplomatic breakthrough, the room for maneuver is shrinking to reach a peaceful resolution of the crisis
”.
For its part, the Russian press mocks the ambitions of the French president who would have confided to some journalists "to
have understood the psychology of Putin
".
"
Few people can say that for themselves
," jokes
Kommersant
, the Russian daily, which also jokes about the 5 meters distance that separated the two presidents, on either side of this long table in the Kremlin, which has "
not had to help with an eye-to-eye conversation
".
Not easy "
to tame the Putin bear
", recognizes for its part
Le Soir
, which speaks of a possible "
game of fools
" with the French president, "
a way for Putin to save time by dictating the agenda with unacceptable demands for Westerners
”.
"
If you invite a Russian bear to dance, it's not you who decides the end of the dance, it's the bear
," quipped a European diplomat, quoting a Russian proverb.
Pegasus spy scandal escalates in Israel
It's a "
veritable earthquake in Israel
", headlines the
Jerusalem Post
after the business daily Calcalist yesterday revealed that the Israeli police had used the Pegasus spyware "
to spy on a large scale not only on ordinary Israeli citizens, but also directors general of ministries, opponents, businessmen, journalists and even relatives of former Prime Minister Netanyahu, including his own son.
»
Prime Minister Bennett promises "
a strong response and an investigation
", underlines for his part the
New York Times
, which explains that "
the Israeli software Pegasus is denounced in Israel as in the rest of the world, as being a threat against democracy
" .
“
The Pegasus scandal is a huge Pandora's box about to burst, and shake the entire Israeli political class, the police, the intelligence services
,” comments
Haaretz
.
“
Consequently, it is unlikely that the investigation will go very far
”, estimates, fatalistic, the Israeli daily.
After two years of closure, Australia will reopen its borders to the world
It's the "
end of Fortress Australia
", "
the light at the end of the tunnel
", rejoices the Australian press, which welcomes Prime Minister Scott Morrison's decision to "
reopen the borders from February 21 for all tourists .
fully vaccinated and all visa holders
”.
A relief for separated Australian families, and a blessing for "
Australia's tourism industry which has popped the champagne corks
", explains
The Australian
, especially the airlines "
who can finally hope to fill their cabins after two years of operation of near-empty aircraft
".
The only downside in this ocean of bliss, the restrictions maintained inside the country, the vast state of Western Australia remains closed to most non-residents.
“
Ridiculous
”, denounces the director of Tourism Australia in
The Age
who calls “
for the reopening of Sydney, the main gateway to Australia
”.
A new illustrated Belgian passport... with drawings by Tintin
All new Belgian passports are now illustrated on their 34 pages "
with drawings taken from the original comic strips, from Tintin to the Smurfs via Lucky Luke and Blake and Mortimer
", reports the
Guardian
.
A way of celebrating "
the ninth art
" which is comics, and of paying homage to Belgian culture, even if the passport remains a real administrative document, ultra-secure, "
the Belgian authorities notably point out that thanks to these drawings, it is also more difficult to counterfeit or falsify
” passports.
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