War in Ukraine: refusal to send UN troops, 1 dead in an attack, drop in the cost of oil… an update on the situation

Selon Trump “si le prix du pétrole était plus bas, la guerre en Ukraine serait aussitôt terminée”. ENVATO ELEMENTS – Perutskyy

Tous les jours, Midi Libre fait le point sur la situation en Ukraine. Ce jeudi 23 janvier 2025, découvrez les dernières actualités autour de ce conflit.

NATO Troops to Be Sent

Russia on Thursday rejected the idea of ​​NATO countries sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire between kyiv and Moscow, saying such a move would risk an “uncontrollable escalation”. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said later in the day that talks with its Western allies on the possibility of security guarantees in the form of a contingent of foreign peacekeepers were in their early stages and were not focused on a specific number.

This idea was completely unacceptable to Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing, responding to recent statements by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who have raised the possibility of their countries contributing troops to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine. In an interview with a German newspaper last week, Pistorius said that Berlin, as NATO’s main partner in Europe, “obviously has a role to play”and that the issue would be considered in due course. The British prime minister said the UK had discussed the idea of ​​a peacekeeping force with other allies and that London would play its full part. Russia has said it is open to dialogue with US President Donald Trump, who has said he wants to end the war in Ukraine quickly.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said on Tuesday he was working towards a meeting with his American counterpart to discuss a peace deal with Russia, estimated that at least 200,000 peacekeepers would be needed to protect his country from a new Russian attack following a possible ceasefire agreement. However, Zelensky clarified his comments in an interview with Bloomberg, saying that the number of peacekeepers would depend on the size of the Ukrainian army. kyiv has categorically refused to limit the size of its army, which currently numbers 800,000 soldiers, as part of a deal.

“Yes, discussions are underway regarding […] foreign military contingents that could potentially be deployed in Ukraine,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tikhy said at a press briefing in kyiv. “The discussions are at a very early stage,”, he continued, adding that it was “too early to talk about exact numbers” and that foreign contingents would only represent part of the security guarantees. “We believe that lasting and reliable security guarantees for Ukraine must include both Europe and the United States. This is how we will ensure a viable and lasting peace,”, he said.

Read also:War in Ukraine: sanctions against Russia, attack on energy facilities, need for 200,000 men… an update on the situation

Russian attack

Russia bombed the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, killing one person and injuring 31, according to local authorities. More than 20,000 residents were left without electricity and 17,000 without heating following this massive attack, carried out using drones and missiles, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said. The city was first targeted by drones and then by several ballistic missiles, he said, and the air alert lasted for six hours.

Among the injured were a two-month-old baby and rescuers who were sent to the scene of the initial raids, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media. One building was destroyed and about 30 others were damaged, Ivan Fedorov said. The Ukrainian Air Force said 92 drones and four ballistic missiles were fired at the industrial city near the front line, about 50 kilometers from the nuclear power plant of the same name, which is occupied by Russian forces. Fifty-seven projectiles were shot down and 27 others lost their trajectory.

Read also: War in Ukraine: new hitch, French Rafales intercept and escort two Russian planes over the Baltic Sea

Price of black gold

US President Donald Trump on Thursday called on Saudi Arabia and OPEC to “lower the cost of oil”, during an online address to an audience of big business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“I'm going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to lower the cost of oil, and I'm honestly surprised they didn't do it before the election. Not doing it wasn't exactly a show of love. If the price was lower, the war in Ukraine would be over right away”, Mr. Trump said.