International press review

Headline: US steps up military aid to Ukraine ahead of Battle of Donbass

Audio 05:14

The United States is strengthening its military support for Ukraine with a new aid of 800 million dollars, according to the “Wall Street Journal” (photo illustration).

AP - Mauricio Campino

By: Véronique Rigolet Follow

4 mins

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While the " 

peace negotiations are frozen and Moscow has confirmed its objective of seizing the whole of Donbass

 ", the United States is further strengthening its military support with new aid " 

of 800

million dollars, a total of 2.4

billion dollars since the Russian offensive in Ukraine

 ”, points out the

Wall Street Journal

.

“ 

Truly massive aid

 ” to prepare for what could be tomorrow “ 

the biggest battles of the war

 ”, underlines the American daily.

Faced with Russian forces continuing to regroup in the east in anticipation of " 

an imminent attack

 ", reports the

Washington Post

, the Pentagon has therefore " 

dipped into its reserves of weapons

 " to supply " 

for the 1ʳᵉ time to the Ukraine 105 mm howitzers, radar defense systems and anti-personnel mines and combat drones

 ”.

All state-of-the-art equipment " 

to tackle this new phase of the war

 ", and which will also be accompanied 

by "training

 " of Ukrainian soldiers, notes the

New York Times.

“ 

A training which had until now been limited to a minimum

 ”, and which will therefore resume “ 

despite the risk that this American involvement will lead to an escalation of tensions with Moscow

 ”, underlines for its part the

Washington Post

.

France refuses to follow Biden who denounces " 

genocide

 "

And that is what aroused " 

President Zelensky's anger

 ", explains the

Guardian, 

in particular President Macron's remark " 

that the term genocide could not be applied, because the Ukrainians and the Russians are

'brother peoples'".

The escalation of words

 " will not bring peace, further justified the French president.

Like Berlin, he stresses that it is clear “ 

that the Russian army has committed war crimes

 ” in Ukraine.

The American press reports for its part that American diplomacy, the State Department " 

does not take up the term genocide, as long as it has not been qualified in law by international justice

 ", underlines

USA Today

which highlights before “ 

the complexity of proving genocide

 ”.

“ 

The dividing line between crimes against humanity and genocide is difficult and sometimes divisive

 ,” also explains the

Guardian.

 The British newspaper points out that “ 

the TPI for the former Yugoslavia thus judged that the massacre of Srebenica against Bosnian Muslims constituted a genocide, but not the massacres perpetrated by the Serb forces in other municipalities

 ”.

Among the allies of the United States, “

Canada also speaks of genocide, while Australia condemns war crimes

 ”, further notes the

Guardian

.

Russian offensive pushes Finland and Sweden towards NATO

“ 

Moscow prompts NATO expansion to the north

 ,” headlines the

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

 Putin's war " 

could bring the Alliance closer to Russia's doorstep

 ", emphasizes the

Washington Post

, which explains " 

that Finland has decided to launch an immediate debate on NATO membership

 ", and that Sweden will also follow.

“ 

That two well-established democracies are now seeking refuge under the security umbrella of the Atlantic Alliance should worry Moscow

 ,” comments the

FAZ.

The German newspaper nevertheless believes that the Kremlin " 

will of course continue to propagate its conspiratorial narrative according to which an aggressive NATO is getting closer and closer to poor Russia

 ".

The accession of Finland and Sweden would be a strategic debacle for the Kremlin

 ", considers for its part the

Times,

which underlines " 

that the soldiers of NATO would thus be less than 160 kilometers from Saint-Petersburg, the birthplace of Putin, and at the gateway to the Kola Peninsula, Russia's mighty naval base

".

Given the relations of the two countries with NATO, " 

their applications for membership could be accepted quickly

 ", notes the

New York Times,

 " 

probably at the end of June at the NATO summit in Madrid

 ". 

Boris Johnson weakened after the resignation of the Minister of Justice

“ 

New blow for the Prime Minister

 ”, headlines

The Independent,

while “ 

Minister of Justice Lord Wolfson resigned yesterday, following the

Partygate revelations”.

First resignation of a minister to “ 

condemn the attitude of Boris Johnson who, fined for having broken the rules of confinement, refuses to leave

 ”.

“ 

Actions incompatible with the rule of law

 ”, lambasted the resigning minister, reports the

Guardian,

while the editorialist of the

Times

insists “ 

that a legislator cannot break the law, and that Boris Johnson must therefore resign

 ” .

The Prime Minister is preparing " 

for a potential storm

 ", from next week, the daily underlines again, " 

with the return from vacation of the deputies

 ".

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