Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Thursday, December 12, 2024, discover the latest news about this conflict.
The possibility of sending troops to Ukraine discussed during the interview with Macron
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk indicated that he had “discussed” with French President Emmanuel Macron the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, in the event of a truce or peace established in this country.
“I would like to put an end to speculation about the potential presence of troops from one country or another in Ukraine once the ceasefire or peace is established. The president (Macron) is aware of this, we have discussed it,” Tusk said at a joint press briefing in Warsaw, while indicating that “for now” Warsaw “is not planning such actions” .
In Poland, Macron calls for “sustainable” peace in Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called during a trip to Poland to promote the establishment of a sustainable peace “sustainable” in Ukraine in order to ensure “sustainable security” in Europe.
“Sustainable peace in Ukraine means sustainable security in Europe,” the head of state told the press in Warsaw. “Only lasting peace is possible in Ukraine. No peace in Ukraine without Ukrainians, no security in Europe without Europeans,” he added before meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The two men are to discuss the possibility of sending European troops to Ukrainian soil as a security guarantee in the event of a peace agreement with Russia.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000“To cut short speculation about the possible presence of this or that country in Ukraine after the conclusion of a ceasefire, decisions regarding Poland will be taken in Warsaw and only in Warsaw,” Donald Tusk warned. “At this time, we are not considering such actions.”
European countries are seeking to demonstrate their ability to propose a solution to end the conflict, nearly three years after Moscow invaded Ukraine, in the run-up to the return to the White House of Donald Trump who advocates an immediate ceasefire and negotiations.
The dispatch of European troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire and the development of a peace agreement between kyiv and Moscow, which would be considered as a guarantee of bilateral security, is a scenario that has been considered for several months, five European diplomats told Reuters.
The Russian threat is approaching us “at great speed”, warns the head of NATO
The Russian threat is approaching us “at great speed speed”, warned NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday, for whom Europe must spend “much more” for his defense.
“The danger is approaching us at great speed”, he said in a speech in Brussels, referring to the Russian threat on the European continent, in the face of which NATO countries must spend “much more” to increase their defense capabilities.
Orban proposes Christmas truce, Putin in favor
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has proposed to Vladimir Putin a ceasefire in Ukraine for the Christmas period as well as an exchange of prisoners of war, a proposal which was received favorably by the Russian president, the Kremlin and Budapest said on Thursday.
The proposal was made during a phone call between the two leaders on Wednesday. The ceasefire was considered “worthy of consideration” and Vladimir Putin was “in favor” of the prisoner of war exchange, Viktor Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, said on Thursday.
For its part, the Kremlin confirmed the content of Budapest's proposal and Russia's support for it, while indicating that Ukraine had rejected the initiative. “Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in his phone conversation with President Putin yesterday, proposed a major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine and announcing a ceasefire by Christmas,”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
On the same day, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) sent a prisoner swap proposal to the Hungarian embassy, it added. In light of the reaction of the Ukrainian public, Dmitry Peskov said that kyiv had “rejected all of Orban's proposals”.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticized the phone call between Viktor Orban and Vladimir Putin, saying it harmed the unity of Western countries. “No one should improve their personal image at the expense of unity”, the Ukrainian leader wrote on X.