Ukraine: Vladimir Putin in Mariupol for another symbolic visit

After a visit to Sevastopol on March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Mariupol on Sunday, March 19. AP - Mikhail Metzel

Text by: RFI Follow

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After visiting Crimea on Saturday, Vladimir Putin arrived in Mariupol earlier on Sunday (March 19th). This is the first time that the Russian president has visited a conquered area since the beginning of the offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.

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It is a weekend full of important visits for the master of the Kremlin, in the context of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. On Saturday, March 18, Vladimir Putin was in Sevastopol, Crimea, nine years to the day after the annexation of the peninsula, still claimed by each side. And this Sunday, March 19, the Russian president set foot in Mariupol.

According to Moscow, Vladimir Putin flew by helicopter to the city, before driving through its streets. Footage has been released, showing the Russian president driving the vehicle himself. According to the Kremlin's press service, the head of state then spoke to residents of the city and was presented with a report on the reconstruction work of Mariupol.

This visit is, like that of Sevastopol on Saturday, highly symbolic for the president. If Vladimir Putin considers Crimea as Russian land for several years, it escapes no one that Mariupol is his first excursion on Ukrainian territory since the beginning of the invasion, 13 months ago.

The choice of Mariupol for this visit owes nothing to chance: since the fall of Kherson, it has been the main city conquered and preserved by Russia since it entered the war. Moscow wants to make it a showcase of its occupation, with ambitious plans for reconstruction and development.

In the Ukrainian camp, the look is very different. Kiev sees Mariupol as a symbol of resistance to the Russian invasion. A year ago, the city's theatre was bombed, while many civilians had taken refuge there. Ukrainians also do not forget the fierce fighting of the defenders of the Azovstal factory in May 2022.

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Read on on the same topics:

  • Ukraine
  • Russia
  • Vladimir Poutine
  • Volodymyr Zelensky
  • Disputed territories