Le Fil for September 26, 2023: The latest news of the day
The world continues to closely monitor events in Ukraine and Russia’s actions. Here is a recap of today’s news.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said sanctions against Russia are not enough to stop its aggression. He promised to take new measures to confront the Russian “terrorist state”. Zelensky stressed the need to increase pressure on Russia in order to limit its ability to do harm. He believes that as long as Russian aggression continues, Russia will have to feel the consequences of its actions.
In Russia, opponent Alexeï Navalny saw his appeal rejected by the courts. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison for “extremism”. Navalny denounces these judgments as politically motivated, in retaliation for his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the corruption of Russian elites. This conviction comes on top of his prison sentence for fraud. Navalny remains a symbol of the opposition in Russia and his situation provokes numerous reactions internationally.
On a sporting level, UEFA has decided to reintegrate Russian youth teams into its competitions. Football teams under 17, men’s and women’s, will therefore be able to participate again in international tournaments. This decision was made in order not to penalize minor players, who are not responsible for the actions of adults. On the other hand, the Russian senior teams remain excluded due to the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
In Central Europe, several countries, including Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, are calling on the European Union to be vigilant regarding Ukrainian grain. These countries fear that Ukrainian cereals, cheaper than those produced locally, will remain on their territory instead of being exported outside the EU. They therefore ask the European Commission to verify and optimize solidarity corridors to ensure efficient delivery of Ukrainian cereals to external markets.
Finally, tensions continue in the Black Sea, where the commander of the Russian fleet, Viktor Sokolov, was given up for dead by Ukraine. However, the Russian Defense Ministry released an image showing Sokolov participating in a video conference, casting doubt on the Ukrainian claims. Tensions between the two countries remain high in this strategic region and contradictory declarations only accentuate the uncertainties.
This news from September 26, 2023 shows that the situation in Ukraine and Russia’s actions continue to have numerous repercussions, both politically, sportingly and economically. The world continues to closely follow these events which have consequences on an international scale.