International press review
Headlines: Biden calls Putin a 'war criminal', promises massive military aid to Kyiv
Audio 05:09
US President Joe Biden promises a billion dollars in additional weapons to Ukraine.
© REUTERS/Tom Brenner
By: Véronique Rigolet Follow
4 mins
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This is the first time that the American president has made such a "
dramatic accusation
" against his Russian counterpart, comments
The Washington Post
, accusing Putin of being a "
war criminal
", an expression that Joe Biden had "
avoided for weeks
" , underlines the daily, but which he finally released "
impromptu
" to journalists at the end of a day "
strong in emotion a few hours after Zelensky's vibrant plea before the American Congress
".
A “ particularly moving and passionate
” plea
, recognizes all of the international press.
“
Zelensky showed photos of Ukrainian towns before and during Russian bombings, with scenes of dead children, pools of blood and mass graves
,” reports
The Wall Street Journal
.
"
Remember Pearl Harbor and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
", thus hammered the Ukrainian president, "
it is this terror that Ukrainians experience every day
".
A speech hailed by a
standing ovation
from the American Congress, underlines
The New York Times
which, like
El Pais
and the
Guardian
, denounces "
the continuation of Russian strikes against civilian populations in Ukraine
".
Massacre in Chernihiv where 10 people were killed yesterday "
while queuing to buy bread
", reports the
Washington Post
, also highlighting "
the devastation in Mariupol, a martyred city
", where there are fears of a new bath of blood after the bombing yesterday of a theater "
where more than a thousand people had taken refuge and whose fate is still uncertain
".
As the
Post
points out , “
Russia will be held accountable, the United States promises
.”
“
The ICC, the International Criminal Court will be seized
”, assures the
Daily Telegraph
, while the mayor of the city already denounces “
a war crime
”.
No exclusion zone, but tons of defensive weapons for Ukrainians
Still no question for NATO of risking "
a third world war
" by engaging in a frontal combat with Russia in the Ukrainian sky, explains
Le Soir
, but the United States wants to provide Ukraine with enough to "
survive the Russian aggression
", by supplying it with "
defensive
" weapons.
Massive American aid, “
800 million dollars, President Biden announced yesterday, a total of 1,000 billion in one week
”, notes the
Wall Street Journal
, which details: “
800 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles,
9,000 anti-tank weapons and “kamikaze” drones which land on armored vehicles before exploding
”.
"
State-of-the-art equipment, equipped with technology to overcome Russian defences
", explains the
Washington Post
, which highlights that "
if the Ukrainians were able to destroy so many tanks, it was largely because this material provided by the allies is easy to use
”.
“
The Ukrainians will thus be able to counter the Russian air attacks
”, also estimates the Swiss daily
Le Temps
.
Peace talks on Ukraine's 'neutrality'
"
In the midst of the bombardments, Russians and Ukrainians discuss a peace plan
", headlines
El Pais
and the negotiations "
have made significant progress
", estimates the
Financial Times
which assures "
that a 15-point plan is on the table
“, which provides “
a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces if Kiev accepts a status of neutral country, and limits for its armed forces
”.
But President Zelensky, who has already "
given up his ambitions to join NATO
", refuses for the time being the proposed compromise, further notes the
Financial Times
, which stresses that "
Ukrainian officials remain skeptical about the commitment of Vladimir Putin in favor of peace
", fearing "
that Moscow is only trying to buy time to regroup its forces and resume its offensive
".
"
Any lasting peace depends on the ability to convince the Kremlin that it cannot achieve victory on the battlefield
", also analyzes the
Guardian
.
The Bolshoi star dancer flees Russia, like many artists
Latest defection to date: that of the famous ballerina Olga Smirnova.
"
The international star of the Moscow ballet who has just publicly denounced the war in Ukraine
", notes the
Washington Post
and leaves the country to join the National Ballet of the Netherlands.
She admits "
never having thought (that she) would one day be ashamed of Russia
", reports the
Guardian,
which points out that many Russian classical dancers have also published messages against the war.
What is already worrying the Duma, the Russian Parliament where the question of "
the opposition of artists to the war has recently been addressed
", underlines the Russian daily
Kommersant,
which reports the words of a deputy for whom "
the confusion of artists comes from the fact that the country has been subject to Western values for too long
”.
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Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky
Russia
Vladimir Poutine
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Joe Biden
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