What to remember from Thursday, May 12th

Thursday, May 12 is a serious day in the diplomatic front. Following the announcement by its leaders that it wanted to join NATO “without delay” under the influence of the war in Ukraine, Russia threatened Finland with a “military-technical” response, while tensions escalated over Russia’s gas supply to Europe, with a second interruption. Day in a row.

Francinefo summarizes what to remember from this day forward.

Finland wants to return to its mandatory neutrality and join NATO

The President and Prime Minister of Finland Sauli Ninisto and Sanna Marin have stated their support for the merger. “Without delay” To NATO. This Nordic country, which shares a 1,300 km border with Russia, was a real revolution and was long pushed into a kind of forced neutrality by Moscow.

If a member, Russia will be “Obliged to take mutual military-technical and other measures to end threats to its national security.”The Russian Foreign Ministry responded in a statement, calling on Helsinki “Be aware of your responsibilities”.

On the Western side, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholes and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged their support for Finland, as did key officials elected from the US Senate. If she applies, “It will be warmly welcomed by NATO and the merger process will go smoothly and quickly.”Jens Stoltenberg was excited.

Russian gas supplies in Germany plummet

According to operators, Germany, one of Russia’s major European customers, has reduced its deliveries via Ukraine by almost 40% in two days. Russian gas company Gazprom confirmed on Wednesday that supplies delivered to Europe by Ukrainian territory would fall by almost 30% on Thursday from 18% the previous day.

Moscow and Kiev blame each other for these declines. Since Tuesday, kyiv has said it will not guarantee deliveries via the Sokhranivka facility in the Luhansk region due to the presence of Russian armed forces, and has been asking Gasprom to increase the volume via another transit point, Sudja.

But Moscow is making sure that traffic through Chokranivka can be made perfect and that it will not be possible to divert the flow towards Southeast.

Gazprom was set to further cut its European supplies by announcing on Thursday that it would not use the Yamal-EuroPol, the main gas pipeline passing through Poland, as the German side was offset by gas from Norway and the Netherlands. German Energy Minister Robert Hebeck has accused Russia of using energy “Like a weapon”.

The UN has launched an investigation into Russia’s violations

In Geneva, the UN Human Rights Council has approved the launch of an inquiry into alleged atrocities against Russian occupation troops. The resolution, adopted by 33 votes in favor, 2 against (China and Eritrea) and 12 votes (including India, Senegal and Cameroon), called for a special committee to be formed in Ukraine in early March. “Investigation” On the serious human rights violations committed by Russian forces in Kyiv, Chernivtsi, Kharkiv and Sumi in late February and March 2022. “Make those responsible accountable”.

This investigation should be added to the ongoing investigations by the International Criminal Court and the Ukrainian authorities.

The attack on Donbass continues

On the ground, fighting continues in the east and south of the country. The Russian military continues its offensive in Donbass, where it is slowly advancing, especially trying to capture it. “Total control” According to the President of Ukraine, Rubisne and Severodonetsk regions.

At least three people were killed and 12 wounded in Russian airstrikes near Chernikov in northeastern Ukraine from Wednesday to Thursday, local officials said.

As Ukraine fears Russia’s military action to mark the anniversary of its victory over Nazi Germany, the return of Ukrainians abroad to the Kyiv station has multiplied since May 9.

More than six million Ukrainians have taken refuge abroad

The High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR) in Geneva announced that more than six million Ukrainians have fled their country since the start of the Russian military invasion on February 24. As of May 11, 6,029,705 Ukrainians had first sought refuge in neighboring countries before continuing their Odyssey, according to the dedicated UNHCR website. Poland has the highest number of refugees (3,272,943 as of May 11).

90% of these refugees are women and children, and men between the ages of 18 and 60 can be mobilized and have no right to leave. The daily flow of refugees has significantly decreased since the outbreak of war.