Follow the evolution of the conflict in Ukraine throughout the day this Friday, March 25.
The essential
- The sanctions decided by the EU and NATO come too late for Volodymyr Zelensky and will not be taken into account by Moscow according to the former Russian president
- Joe Biden will travel to the border this Friday
- Volodymyr Zelensky calls on Russia to “seek peace”
- United States and European Union agreement to reduce European dependence on Russian gas
– 12:55 p.m .: Ukraine calls for the closure of European borders with Russia and Belarus
Ukraine asked the European Union on Friday March 25 to close its borders with Russia and Belarus, a country that supports Russia’s invasion.
– 12:20 p.m.: Finland suspends rail links with Russia
The Finnish national rail operator will suspend from this Monday, March 28, its services between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg in Russia, thus cutting off one of the last public transport routes to the European Union still available for Russians.
In view of the sanctions taken against Russia, the VR operator has been ordered by the state to no longer provide service to Saint Petersburg, known as Allegro, said on Friday 25 march the passenger traffic manager of VR Topi Simola in a press release.
“So we are suspending traffic for the time being,” he said. However, the border between Finland and Russia remains open to crossings by private car. Trains connecting Russia to the Finnish capital Helsinki have faced waves of Russian nationals since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the mutual closure of airspace between the country and the bloc.
Finland’s Minister for European Affairs and Reforms, Tytti Tuppurainen, told the country’s largest daily, Helsingin Sanomat, that one of the reasons for maintaining train services so far was to allow Finns living in Russia to return to the country.
“It is now apparent that the situation has changed for the Allegro line and continued traffic is no longer appropriate from the state’s perspective,” he told the newspaper.
– 11:25 am: Russia denies any use of phosphorus bombs in Ukraine
Phosphorus bombs in Ukraine: the Kremlin denies any violation of international law
Russia rejected this Friday, March 25 the accusations launched by Ukraine against it on the use of phosphorus bombs. She does not even deny any violation of international law, stating: “Russia has never violated any international convention.”
– 11 a.m.: a Russian strike hits a medical center in Kharkiv, at least four dead
Kharkiv police said on Friday March 25 that a Russian bombardment on a medical center in the city left four people dead and at least three injured.
– 10:45 am: Russia claims to have destroyed the largest fuel reserve of the Ukrainian army
Russia claimed this Friday, March 25 to have destroyed the largest fuel reserve of the Ukrainian army the day before.
A missile strike would have caused this destruction.
– 10:25 a.m.: the bombardment of the Mariupol theater could have claimed the lives of 300 people
The Mariupol town hall announced on Friday March 25 that the Russian strike which hit the Mariupol theater on March 16 killed around 300 people.
He said: “Witnesses have information that about 300 people died in the Mariupol Drama Theater as a result of a bombing by a Russian plane. Until the end, we do not want to believe this horror. Until in the end, we want to believe that everyone is safe. But the testimonies of those who were inside the building at the time of this terrorist act say the opposite.
– 10:20 a.m.: agreements with the United States on additional LNG deliveries for Europe
The European Union and the United States formalized this Friday, March 25 an agreement on additional American deliveries of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe, while the leaders of the 27 meeting in Brussels continue to discuss the reduction of the EU’s dependence on Russian hydrocarbons after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The United States will work with its international partners and do its utmost to be able to supply an additional 15 billion cubic meters of LNG to the European market in 2022, with additional increases expected in the future”, can we read in a note information released by the White House.
In the longer term, the objective is for the additional volume of American LNG deliveries to be around 50 billion cubic meters each year, it is specified in this document.
The announcement of this agreement during a visit by United States President Joe Biden to Brussels, comes the day after the holding of three summits in Brussels (NATO, G7 and EU) in the presence of Joe Biden, at the during which Western leaders announced increased military aid to Ukraine.
– 9:30 am: Germany wants to halve its dependence on Russian oil by summer
The German Economy Ministry intends to halve Germany’s dependence on Russian oil by the summer and stop importing Russian coal by the fall, writes Der Spiegel this Friday, March 25, which quotes a memo from the ministry.
The move comes as Western countries want to show a united front against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which calls its offensive a “special military operation”.
“By the middle of the year, imports of Russian oil to Germany should be halved,” the German newspaper said. “By the end of the year, we intend to be almost independent.”
“By autumn, Germany can be independent of Russian coal,” continues Der Spiegel.
The press service of the ministry did not comment immediately but indicated that the Minister of Economy, Robert Habeck, should speak on energy dependence during a press briefing scheduled for the morning.
According to Der Spiegel, sources within the ministry said: “Despite the progress made, an immediate embargo would still have too many serious economic and social consequences.”
– 8:50 am: Zelensky addresses the Russians asking them to “seek peace”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russia to “seek peace”, he said: “For Russia to understand one thing, that it is necessary to seek peace. Russia must also seek peace. “
Before adding: “If the Russian army had known what was waiting for it, I’m sure it would have been afraid to come here.”
– 8:20 am: for Joe Biden: “NATO more united than ever”
The President of the United States said in a tweet on the night of Thursday March 24 to Friday March 25 that “Nato has never been as united as today”.
Before adding: “Putin gets exactly the opposite of what he intended to get by going to Ukraine.”
NATO has never been more united than it is today.
Putin is getting exactly the opposite of what he intended to have as a consequence of going into Ukraine.
—Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 25, 2022
– 8 a.m.: Joe Biden will visit this Friday near the Ukraine border
US President Joe Biden announced on Thursday March 24 that he will travel this Friday March 25 to the city of Rzeszow, about 80 km from the border with Ukraine during his visit to Poland.
– 7:50 a.m .: the former Russian president says that Western sanctions will not influence the Kremlin
It would be “foolish” to believe that Western sanctions against Russian companies could have any effect on the Moscow government, Russian news agency RIA reported on Friday (March 25th), citing former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Sanctions will strengthen Russian society and will not cause public discontent with the authorities, Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with RIA.
– 7:40 am: for Volodymyr Zelensky, the European Union sanctions against Russia are a bit late
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, declared this Thursday, March 24 before the European Union: “You have applied sanctions. We are grateful to you. These are strong measures. But it is a bit late. Because if they had been preemptive, Russia would not have gone to war, saying the sanctions against Moscow came “a bit late.”
– 7:30 am: Russia will emerge weakened from the conflict in Ukraine according to the Americans
Russia will emerge weakened and isolated from the conflict in Ukraine, a senior American official said on Thursday March 24.
“I think Russia will certainly come out weaker than it was before the conflict; militarily, economically, politically and geopolitically, and (it will be) more isolated,” said Under Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl. .
Colin Kahl said a Pentagon defense strategy document, expected to be released soon, would declare Russia to be an “acute threat.”
However, Russia cannot be a long-term challenge for the United States, unlike China, he added.
