War in Ukraine: Starmer and Macron reaffirm their support, two dead in Donetsk, a city in Russian hands… an update on the situation

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Friday, January 10, 2025, discover the latest news about this conflict.

Macron and Starmer reaffirm their support for Ukraine

Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine on Thursday, the French president said on the social network X. “We reaffirmed our commitment to support Ukraine, discussed the situation in the Middle East, the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and prepared the next Franco-British Summit”, the head of state said.

Emmanuel Macron met Keir Starmer at Chequers, the British Prime Minister's official country residence located near London. “The situation in Ukraine was at the heart of discussions”, the Elysée Palace announced on the night of Thursday to Friday. “The two leaders reaffirmed their desire to coordinate closely in order to support Ukraine for as long as necessary.” “They stressed the importance of continuing to provide the necessary equipment for the defense of Ukrainian territory, and of ensuring sustainable financial support for Ukraine beyond 2025. They finally stressed the importance of providing security guarantees to Ukraine.“

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that kyiv's Western allies had committed to providing Ukraine with an additional $2 billion in military assistance

Ukraine receives first €3 billion payment backed by frozen Russian assets

The European Union on Friday released the first tranche of a loan granted to Ukraine by the G7 and guaranteed by frozen Russian assets, amounting to 3 billion euros, kyiv and Brussels said. G7 leaders agreed in October to provide about $50 billion (€48.53 billion) in loans to Ukraine through several channels.

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“Today we are delivering €3 billion to Ukraine, the first instalment of the European part of the G7 loan. We are giving Ukraine the financial means to continue fighting for its freedom – and to win,”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on the social network X.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmihal confirmed the transfer of funds on the Telegram app. The financing channels agreed by the G7 include an EU macro-financial assistance loan, the IMF’s multi-donor account for Ukraine, and a newly created financial intermediary fund for Ukraine at the World Bank. In December, the US Treasury Department transferred $20 billion to the World Bank fund.

Russia Accuses Ukraine of Donetsk Supermarket Attack, Killing Two

Russia on Friday accused Ukraine of carrying out a missile strike on a supermarket in the Russian-controlled eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, saying the attack killed two civilians and wounded two others. The state news agency RIA cited Russian investigators as saying a U.S.-supplied HIMARS missile appeared to have been used.

Ukraine did not immediately comment and Reuters could not confirm the report. Unverified photos posted on social media showed a charred car in front of a two-story circular building surrounded by debris.

Dashcam footage posted by a nearby driver appeared to show the moment the supermarket – named Moloko – was hit, followed by a large explosion and flames rising into the sky. Reuters was able to confirm the location from the facades of a nearby building, signs and road configurations that matched satellite and street view images. The date was verified using timestamps on the images.

Denis Pushilin, a senior Russian-backed official, accused the Ukrainian military of firing HIMARS into the area during the morning rush hour. Russia’s TASS news agency reported that other buildings and about 15 cars were damaged in the same attack. Pushilin said on his official Telegram account that an apartment building in the city of Svitlodarsk in Donetsk region was also struck by Ukrainian forces, killing a woman and wounding four others.