War between Ukraine and RussiaDossierTwo years after the start of the Russian invasion, a look back at two years of conflict under the pen of our designer.
February 16th
Since the fall of 2021, Vladimir Putin has been playing on the nerves of Western leaders by massing his troops near the Ukrainian border. 15,000 Russian soldiers are officially present there as part of exercises. Will cross? Won't cross? The return of war to European soil seems unimaginable, but the law firms are taking the risk very seriously.
February 23rd
It's not a war yet, but it's almost there. Vladimir Putin did not withdraw his army from the borders and kept up the pressure in a paranoid speech in which he recognized the independence of the Russian-speaking regions of eastern Ukraine. Worse still, the Russian Air Force supported independence activists in Donbass.
February 28th
After the unthinkable happened, Europe reacted. Seventy years after the end of the Second World War, more than twenty years after the end of the conflict in the Balkans, weapons can be heard again on European territory. As a direct result, the countries of the Union and their allies are embarking on the path of rearmament to come to the aid of Ukraine. While direct interference in the conflict is out of the question, support for Volodymyr Zelensky is being organized with weapons and logistics.
March 10th
Beyond supporting Ukraine, there is a question about Europe and Kiev's friends in the middle of winter. How to end dependence on Russian hydrocarbons, which are a real oxygen pump for the Moscow economy? Especially for the EU, where 40% of imports in this area come from the Eurasian giant. The European Commission is proposing a two-thirds cut looking for a replacement menu, but encounters the inequalities of its member states. France is 20% dependent on Russian gas, Germany is 55% dependent, and Finland… 100%.
March 16th
And suddenly, breaking through the leaden cloak of censorship and propaganda, a live hit from the first Russian broadcaster. Journalist Marina Ovsiannikova sends a message to viewers fed up with Russian propaganda. “No to war. Don't believe the propaganda. We are lying to you here.” The journalist was arrested several times, then fined and finally fled Russia in October.
April 5th
Despite Ukrainian resistance, the towns of Mariupol and Boutcha, not far from Kiev, are added to the list of martyr cities bled dry by Vladimir Putin's troops, including Aleppo and Grozny.
June 24th
Symbolic membership? Additional bulwark to deter Russia? The law firms are concerned with the question of Ukraine's accession to the European Union, as demanded by Volodymyr Zelensky and his most ardent supporters. However, a first step appears to have been taken on June 23, after the Twenty-Seven granted candidate status to Kiev at the same time as Moldova, another former republic. Soviet forces seeking to escape Russian influence.
22nd of July
As the conflict deepens, the energy issue is becoming increasingly problematic. Amid an inflation crisis, Europe is experiencing a 20% drop in Russian shipments. When France sees its reserves are 75% full, The shutdown of some nuclear power plants raises fears of a harsh winter.
12th of October
Despite the ongoing bombing, Ukraine continues its remarkable resistance and does not give an inch diplomatically. On the sidelines of a G20 meeting, the Ukrainian president repeats his mantra: “There can be no dialogue with this Russian leader who has no future.” »
20th of December
On Monday, December 19, there were renewed drone attacks in Kiev, knocking out electricity and running water in many parts of the city. Drones that Iran itself admitted to supplying to Russia.
January 26th
After weeks of delaying the announcement, Germany finally gave in to pressure and confirmed the delivery of heavy tanks to the Kiev army and authorized the countries that own this tank to do the same.
14th of February
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict also continues on a sporting level. Kiev continues its intensive lobbying to ban not only Russian athletes from participating in the Paris Olympics under the Russian flag, but also supporters of the regime.
March 13th
In January, the Russian Federation admitted that almost five million Ukrainians, including 733,000 children, had arrived on its territory since February. Among those portrayed as “war refugees” are “forced deportees,” especially minors. According to Ukrainian MP Lesia Zaburanna, Ukrainian authorities were able to document the fate of 16,270 of them, “half of whom have already changed their names and acquired Russian citizenship.”
October 25
After the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, media attention was largely turned away from the fighting in Ukraine. While Ukraine hoped for a lightning-fast counteroffensive, Kiev only recaptured a few square kilometers of its territory in the fall of 2023 due to a lack of resources. A time when the war between Hamas and Israel is attracting more attention.