[LIVE] War in Ukraine: the European Commission gives itself a week to assess Ukraine's candidacy
Ursula von der Leyen this Saturday, June 11 in kyiv.
AFP - SERGEI SUPINSKY
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
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The main points:
►
Ursula von der Leyen
is back from Kiev, where she was this Saturday, June 11.
The European Commission is giving itself a week
to complete the assessment of Ukraine's application for EU membership.
►
Russia
on Saturday June 11 handed over
its first passports to residents of Kherson
, a city occupied by Moscow troops in southern Ukraine.
According to the Russian government agency TASS, 23 residents of Kherson received during a ceremony a Russian passport, a "simplified procedure" allowed thanks to a decree signed at the end of May by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
► Ukrainian soldiers are fighting in
Sievierodonetsk
one of the
“most difficult battles”
since the beginning of the war to resist the Russian forces which now control a large part of this strategic eastern city where, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the “fate” of the Donbass region is at stake.
The Russian army pounded the city on Saturday to wrest total control, but the depletion of ammunition is increasingly felt, especially on the Ukrainian side.
"
The Donbass holds
", assured Volodymyr Zelensky this Saturday.
►
France is ready
to participate in an
"operation" to lift the blockade of the port of Odessa, a
city in southern Ukraine, and to export Ukrainian cereals to countries in need, the presidency announced on Friday French.
“We are at the disposal of the parties so that an operation is put in place which would allow access to the port of Odessa in complete safety, that is to say to be able to allow boats to pass despite the fact that the sea is mined,” said a presidential adviser.
Times are given in Universal Time (UT).
07:36: fierce fighting in Sievierodonetsk
According to a member of the Donetsk military administration, “all the major towns in the free territory” of this region “have been without electricity” since early Saturday evening.
He cites Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Konstantinovka, Druzhkivka and Bakhmut.
On television, the governor of the Lugansk region Sergiï Gaïdaï described a "difficult" situation in Popasna, Sievierodonetsk and near the Siversky Donets river, the level of which has dropped so much that he fears new Russian attempts to cross it to establish a new bridgehead near Bilogorivka.
"
In Tochkivka, very strong fighting is going on
," he also said.
In Sievierodonetsk, the Ukrainian defense is entrenched on the site of an Azot chemical plant.
"
Permanent fighting continues
," said Serguiï Gaïdaï.
"
The enclosure of the Azot factory is bombarded in a powerful way for hours, using large caliber weapons
", he detailed, referring to "
street fights with firearms
" but also the “
floor by floor
” destruction
by Russian artillery of buildings used as shelters by the Ukrainian forces.
For several days, fighting has also been intense in the Mykolaiv region, neighboring the port city of Odessa, in the south of the country.
The Russian advance was halted on the outskirts of the city, however.
The operational command specified that the Russian forces had fired missiles on the suburbs of this city, a “
continuous fire which puts under psychological pressure the civilian population
”.
07:25: "
The Donbass is holding
", says Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
said
on Saturday evening that Ukrainian forces have taken over Tavriyské, in the
Kherson region.
In that of Zaporijjia, certain successes have been noted, he added.
The Russian army is still pounding the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city.
The area around Chortkiv in western Ukraine was also shelled in the evening, regional governor Volodymyr Trouch said.
“
Remember how Russia hoped to take all of Donbass in the first days of May?
The Donbass holds
”, also launched Volodymyr Zelensky.
6:40 a.m
.:
EU to publish its opinion on Kiev's candidacy in a week
Ursula von der Leyen is back from kyiv, where she was this Saturday, June 11.
The European Commission that she presides is giving itself a week to finish evaluating the Ukrainian application for EU membership.
The goal is to have an "opinion", a recommendation, ready for the summit of 27 heads of state and government, which opens on June 23,
reports our correspondent in Brussels,
Pierre Benazet
.
The President of the European Commission promised this Saturday to Ukraine to “
do everything to support it in its European ambitions
”, a promise which however goes beyond the room for maneuver available to the Commission.
The College of European Commissioners is meeting this Sunday for an orientation debate, and it is Friday that the Commission should publish its official opinion on Ukraine's candidacy.
It is legal and technical work that the Twenty-Seven expect from the European Commission.
But its president intends to lend her political support to Ukraine, as Ursula von der Leyen told Volodymyr Zelensky in kyiv.
►
EU: in a week, Brussels will publish its opinion on Kiev's candidacy
06h30:
Hello and welcome to this live.
You can find our live yesterday by following
this link
.
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Ukraine
Russia
Day to day war in Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky
Vladimir Poutine