France and Russia set two decisive dates

At the beginning of May, the war in Ukraine could take a decisive turn.

On the one hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin announces a ceasefire on the Ukrainian front from 8 to 10 May, "on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory". An announcement welcomed positively by Ukraine, although the country believes that the ceasefire shouldn't only be justified by a historical event from the Russian side. Kyiv therefore calls on Moscow for a truce of "at least 30 days" to begin as soon as possible: "There's no reason to wait until 8 May. The ceasefire shouldn't last only a few days, allowing the killings to resume afterwards. It must be immediate, complete and unconditional - for at least 30 days to ensure safety and guarantee," stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

On the other hand, the French head of state, Emmanuel Macron, expresses his desire to “intensify pressure on Russia”. In an interview with Paris Match on 28 April, he emphasises that “in the next eight to ten days, we will increase pressure on Russia”, with the support of Washington. The French president believes he has convinced Donald Trump "to take a tougher stance towards Russia to achieve this ceasefire".

(MH with Manon Pierre - Source: Linternaute - Illustration: ©Unsplash)