In the press - Versailles Summit: "The war in Ukraine, an existential challenge for the EU"

The +

On the front page of the press, the summit which brings together, Thursday March 10 and Friday March 11, the 27 leaders of the EU in Versailles.

An appointment dominated by the war in Ukraine.

Le Soir

evokes an "existential" summit in an attempt to "escape paralysis and loosen the noose that threatens (would) an entire civilizational destiny".

A "healthy reaction", according to the Belgian newspaper, which regrets that war appears, once again, as "the only one capable of imposing fundamental changes".

A war that the Europeans might have been able to avoid "if they had relied for the past two decades on Russian civil society rather than Putin's gas".

History does not repeat itself in reverse, and now that the war is here, "Europe is looking for a response to Putin". 

wonders: "By brandishing an existential threat, will (the Russian president) facilitate the adoption of a 'strategic compass' common to Europeans who have not always seen the same danger at their doorstep?"

If the EU is displaying its unity in the face of the invasion of Ukraine for the moment, the files on the table may put it to the test. 

cites, among other things, the question of the embargo on Russian hydrocarbons, the fate to be reserved for Ukrainian refugees or the investments necessary for energy transition, food sovereignty and defence.

The common capacity of Europeans to defend themselves will be at the heart of this summit.

"Europe of defence, year zero":

recalls that the 27 "promise extraordinary military means", since the war in Ukraine, with Germany, in particular, which says it wants to devote more than 2% of its GDP to military expenditure - in other words, a revolution.

No decision, on the other hand, for the moment, on the distribution of roles with NATO, for lack of consensus.

#ÀLaUne de La Croix:

➡️ Europe of defense, year zero

➡️ Valérie Pécresse: "I want a national boost for school"

➡️ What place does reading have in our lives?

pic.twitter.com/cNozSqgR4K

— The Cross (@LaCroix) March 9, 2022

The very idea of ​​strengthening European military capabilities, however, raises some teeth.

In France,

deems the EU's "swing" towards armaments "dizzying".

"This hastily promoted defense Europe will not be the tool of political sovereignty dreamed of by some nor a guarantee of peace", warns the newspaper, which assures that this common defense "will be built under the tutelage of NATO", and "strengthen block and response logic".

A policy of military arm wrestling that will play "Vladimir Putin's game", according to L'Huma.

The humanity of Thursday March 10, 2022 at newsagents and from this evening 10 p.m. on computer https://t.co/s4nZf9skga tablets and smartphones with our IOS apps https://t.co/Nwm028Ng9C and Android https:/ /t.co/AzRCWAjIRD pic.twitter.com/HvBaMlPgdW

– Humanity (@humanite_fr) March 9, 2022

Vladimir Putin's Russia, whom Ukraine accuses of having bombed a children's hospital in Mariupol yesterday.

These images make the front page of many European newspapers, especially British ones, which express intense emotion.

"Barbarian", "Depravity", "Evil added to evil", headline the newspapers across the Channel.

In the drawing by Steve Camley, found on

, the images of this bombed hospital are broadcast by Russia Today, accused of propaganda, and now banned from broadcasting in Europe.

The Russian channel delivers HIS version of the story: "The brave Russian soldiers have targeted the next generation of neo-Nazis", in reference to Vladimir Putin's declaration on the "denazification" of Ukraine.

Our cartoonist Steven Camley on the news Russian airstrikes hit a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine.

You can purchase Camley's Cartoons by calling 0141 302 7000 or visiting https://t.co/Dr2F9s8Ayv pic.twitter.com/3XNKivgc6W

— The Herald (@heraldscotland) March 10, 2022

In a report posted online yesterday, Amnesty International documented another Russian bombardment in Ukraine on March 3, in Chernihiv, north of Kiev.

During this bombardment which is among the deadliest since the start of the invasion - 47 dead, according to the Ukrainian authorities - eight unguided bombs fell on a small square in the city.

The majority of the victims "were queuing to buy food", according to the NGO, which says it has not "identified a legitimate military objective at or near the location of this strike".

A possible "war crime", according to Amnesty, which calls for an investigation by the International Criminal Court.

Read in

.

Another survey, this time by

, claims that cluster munitions, banned by international treaties, are being used in the conflict.

"If the origin of these shots is sometimes difficult to prove", certain images would show, there again, "a probable responsibility of the Russian army", according to the newspaper, which, precisely, sought to reconstruct the area of shots from which seven missile sections, carrying explosive charges and found in Kharkiv, could be launched.

According to the newspaper, this firing zone would have been located "towards Russia and areas occupied by its army at the time of the attacks", on February 27.

The Russian army continues to advance despite flaws in its offensive.

Strategic errors, logistical problems, intelligence gaps.

According to

, "Putin skates" in Ukraine.

The newspaper reports the "disbelief" of Russia's adversaries at the images of bogged down tanks, bogged down convoys, and haggard soldiers, facing a war "supposedly lightning and on the way to becoming a nightmare of vanished deterrence".

On the front page of Liberation Thursday:

🇷🇺 Russian army in #Ukraine: why Putin skates https://t.co/nj2k4mQp7h pic.twitter.com/TNvfD81k44

— Liberation (@libe) March 9, 2022

Libé

, who nevertheless recalls that "the force of destruction (of Vladimir Putin) remains formidable".

The Russian President, whom we see in a very beautiful drawing by Ben Jennings at the very end of an interminable table, so far from his human brothers, a thousand leagues from Earth - this famous table at which he received, among others , Emmanuel Macron in the Kremlin.

Latest @guardian cartoon pic.twitter.com/m0f7j0nhbi

— Ben Jennings (@BJennings90) March 9, 2022

We do not leave each other on this, but unfortunately for PSG fans, we do not leave each other either on a victory for the Parisians, defeated yesterday by Real Madrid in the knockout stages of the Champions League, 3 to 1 "The nightmare of Paris", cries

.

"Punished by the king":

is of course talking about Real striker Karim Benzema, author of a hat-trick, and is starting to think that Kylian Mbappé is definitely "too strong" for PSG.

Will he finally join his teammate from the France team at Real?

That is the question.

For the moment,

are fully enjoying their pleasure.

"Esto es el Madrid!"

("That's Madrid!"), exults the sports daily.

#LaPortada ¡¡¡Esto es el @realmadrid!!!

🗞️ #UCL pic.twitter.com/wFZ2X9qyGh

— MARCA (@marca) March 9, 2022

Find the Press Review every morning on France 24 (Monday to Friday, at 7:20 a.m. and 9:20 a.m. Paris time).

Also follow the Revue des Hebdos every weekend in multicast.

The summary of the

France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_EN