International press review
Headlines: Putin waves nuclear threat against the West again
Audio 04:59
This capture taken from video footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry on April 20, 2022 shows the launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile at the Plesetsk test range, in Russia.
© AFP HANDOUT
By: Véronique Rigolet Follow
4 mins
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As the West steps up military aid to Ukraine, the Russian president "
oversaw the launch of a ballistic missile yesterday
" which "
will,
he said, make
Russia's enemies think twice
" , reports the
Wall Street Journal
, which explains that this "
hypersonic missile, the Sarmat 2
", nicknamed "
Satan 2
" by NATO, "
is a heavy intercontinental missile, which can carry up to 10 nuclear warheads and can above all escape all existing missile defense systems
.
"
It's the most lethal weapon in the world
", is horrified by the
Daily Mirror
, while the
Guardian
denounces "
Putin's warning
".
"
Even if this is not the first time that the Russian president has reminded Westerners that they are rubbing shoulders with a nuclear power
", underlines the
New York Times
, "
this new warning fuels fears of an isolated Putin , which could be unleashed in even more dangerous ways
.”
"
Putin's threats are more worrying than the missile itself
", also believes a disarmament specialist in the
Washington Post
, the American daily, which nevertheless believes that "
these threats will not alter the American will to continue to put pressure on Moscow, with economic sanctions and the supply of more powerful weapons to the Ukrainian army
".
In Mariupol, the " heroic
" resistance
of Ukrainian fighters is wearing thin
“
The last stronghold of the resistance fighters in Mariupol
” appears on the front page of many daily newspapers, while Vladimir Putin has just ordered his soldiers to continue to besiege them.
El País
salutes the resistance both "
heroic and desperate
" of these hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers who "
defy Vladimir Putin
", comments the Spanish daily, "
while Mariupol is in majority Russian-speaking, their resistance is something that the Kremlin does not can admit
”.
But while the Ukrainian resistance fighters are now calling for help "
saying that they are no doubt living their last days if not their last hours
", the Swiss daily
Le Temps
fears for its part "
that the Russians are tempted to use chemical weapons
" to dislodge them.
"
In Mariupol, the whole problem of the war in Ukraine appears under a magnifying glass
", estimates the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
, "
genuine support for the besieged military and civilians would hardly be possible without Westerners themselves being drawn into the conflict
", explains the German daily.
Scholz under fire after refusing to arm Ukraine
The German Chancellor continues to be harassed by the German press, which accuses him "
of being unable to close the debate on the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine
", underlines the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
, which denounces "
a real lack of leadership
" which could threaten the ruling coalition, says the German daily, while even among the Greens some criticize "
procrastination which risks seeing Putin's attack on Ukraine turn into World War III
".
In the end, the German position "
equivalent to a lone horseman
", ironically
Die Welt
, while the
Reutlinger General-Anzeiger
wonders about the Chancellor's indecision: "
Does he not want or does he not understand the drama
?
Is Scholz afraid of Russia
?
He hesitates, he procrastinates, brakes on sanctions as on weapons, while time is
running out , ”insists the daily.
The Macron / Le Pen debate deemed "
without concession
" but not decisive
This even on the cover of the
Wall Street Journal
, which speaks of a muscular confrontation "
between Marine Le Pen who has sought to portray Macron as a leader disconnected from the economic realities of French households
", while for his part Macron "
has assimilated his adversary to a puppet of President Putin
".
"
You talk to your banker when you talk to Russia
", this attack by Emmanuel Macron, which refers to the loan that Le Pen's party took out with a Russian bank, is also taken up by the
New York Times
and the
Financial Times
.
For the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
, "
Macron (however) seemed arrogant, and Le Pen incompetent
".
Not sure that this nearly 3-hour debate "
truly changes the situation
", comments
El País
, for whom "
Macron remains the favorite
" even if the ballot looks tight, adds the Spanish daily, "
and that Marine Le Pen will undoubtedly achieve the best result in the history of the far right in France on Sunday
.
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Ukraine
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Vladimir Poutine
Emmanuel Macron
Marine Le Pen
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Olaf Scholz
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