This Wednesday, August 24 is doubly symbolic,

Le Figaro

It marks the sixth month of Russia's aggression against Ukrainian territory and the 31st anniversary of its independence after the breakup of the USSR.

But the national holiday will not be celebrated,

For several days, President Zelensky has said he fears that Moscow, on this occasion, will do "something disgusting and cruel".

Ukrainian intelligence services say that additional Russian units have been deployed in Belarus and that at least two ships, capable of launching cruise missiles, are in the Black Sea.

kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, thus revives the anguish of the last days of February, when the Russian army was at its gates.

Liberation

In recent weeks, the conflict has entered a more informal phase, marked by operational exhaustion on the Russian side and by uncertainty about the offensive potential of Ukrainian forces, which are gaining strength but failing to retake territories.

The front is stabilizing and we are witnessing a deadlock situation on both sides.

The arrival of the winter period will further hamper operations

Le Parisien

the interactive maps of the conflict seem to be stuck in pause mode.

The Russians are trampling in the Donbass, to the east.

In the south, the Ukrainian army's expected counter-offensive to recapture Kherson is struggling to produce results

Le Parisien

After six months of war, Western leaders express their support for Kiev every day.

However, on the ground the humanitarian momentum is running out of steam,

The Ukrainians are afraid of sinking into the indifference of international public opinion.

(…) “France and the European Union, with many allies and friends of Ukraine, are doing what is necessary to support your fight. (…) We are here today and we will be there tomorrow and after. -tomorrow", promised yesterday President Emmanuel Macron, without quite convincing in kyiv.

"Yes, I'm afraid that the world will forget us," sighs Lisa, a newlywed, on the phone.

This 18-year-old beautician is rebuilding brick by brick a normal life at home, in Boutcha, this martyr city north of kyiv where the first mass graves of tortured civilians were discovered in March.

Lisa has lost three neighbors,

Le Parisien

– one was thrown out of the window of his house on the sixth floor, two others were shot dead.

Many of her friends have gone west.

The echoes that come back to him are not good.

“In Poland, the inhabitants are getting tired of the refugees, she says again. And in Spain, we are talked about less about us. The Europeans think that things are calming down…

L'Opinion

this is not the time to let go of Kiev after the massive military and economic aid provided over the past six months.

It is not just about the integrity of Ukraine, which is fighting for its freedom and that of Europe.

It is also about the future of our democracies and liberalism deemed "obsolete" by Vladimir Putin.

He and his fellow dictators are only waiting for one thing

: for the West to give in to take advantage of it

how far will the war in Ukraine go

?

Le Midi Libre

In just a few months, the Russian invasion attempt has completely turned Europe's energy policy upside down.

It impacts most of the economies of the planet and threatens Africa with a serious food crisis.

Believing themselves to be safe, Western democracies are realizing that peace is not eternal.

That we may soon have to fight to defend our freedoms.

Communication battle, diplomatic crisis, nuclear disaster blackmail… (…) Six months after the start of the conflict, we still do not see the end of the tunnel,

Le Midi Libre

We then say to ourselves that the worst is yet to come in a Third World War which still does not say its name.