Toulouse, twinned with Kiev, is worried
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia took another turn this Thursday, February 24 in the morning. Russian Vladimir Putin announced at dawn a military operation in Ukraine where powerful explosions were held back in several cities of the country, the president of Kiev claiming that a “large-scale invasion” was underway.
Jean-Luc Moudenc, the mayor of Toulouse, very quickly posted this Thursday morning a message of support for the Ukrainian population, in particular the city of Kiev with which Toulouse has shared a history since 1975.
Since this twinning, Toulouse welcomes young Ukrainians every year in its holiday centres, via the Yaroslavna association. “I am working on the idea of welcoming more young Ukrainians this summer“, adds Jean-Claude Dardelet, the deputy mayor in charge of international issues and twinning.
For now, Ukrainian associations and expatriates have not planned a rally in Toulouse this Thursday, rather this weekend.
Fifty Ukrainians dead
Ukraine announces that more than 40 soldiers and a dozen civilians killed. The Russian army claimed to have destroyed air bases and Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense, while claiming to target strategic sites with “high precision” weapons. Russian ground forces entered Ukrainian territory from Russia and Belarus, according to Kiev.
With our colleagues from the Public Senate, Aurelien PradieMP LR du Lot, spokesperson for Valérie Pécresse and leader of the right in the Occitanie region, does not “no extenuating circumstances, no excuses for what Putin is doing. He must be sanctioned financially, personally“.
The socialist president of the Department of Tarn, Christopher Ramond, publishes this Thursday noon a press release in which it expresses its solidarity with the Ukrainian people. “Our country, Europe and the international community must respond accordingly and in a coordinated manner to this criminal act. In these dark times, the Tarn stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.“