Zelensky visits Bakhmut on the front line in eastern Ukraine

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Bakhmut, a city that Russian forces have been trying to capture for months and which is currently the hottest spot on the frontline in eastern Ukraine, describing the war-ravaged city as the “fortress ” of the front. in Ukraine.

The unannounced visit came at a time when the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will hold an expanded meeting of the Ministry of Defense (…) where the results of the activities of the Russian armed forces in 2022 will be presented, and tasks will be defined for next year”.

Also, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday urged his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in a phone call to use his influence with Russia to stop the war in Ukraine, his office said.

French President Emmanuel Macron also announced in an interview with TFN and LCI channels broadcast on Tuesday that France has finally delivered Crotal missile launchers and batteries to Ukraine and will continue arms shipments into early 2023.

Aboard the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier off the coast of Egypt, the French president said: “In recent days, France has delivered additional weapons, including missile launchers, Crotal missiles and equipment, in addition to those we have supplied.”

Meanwhile, Zelensky told the Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut: “Here in Donbass, you are protecting all of Ukraine… They will do everything they have done here in other cities of our country, because they don’t want anything Ukrainian, I’m sure.” . of that.”