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THE ESSENTIALS

  • An international arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court against Vladimir Putin for his responsibility in the "war crime of unlawful deportation" of children. Since the beginning of the war, thousands of Ukrainian minors have been forcibly displaced, placed in Russian education centres and even adopted in Russia.
  • The Russian president is also due to receive his Chinese counterpart on Monday, to launch a "new era" in their diplomatic relations. China has been urging Ukraine for several days to agree to a ceasefire to resume talks with Moscow.
  • Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, has asked Parliament to validate Finland's membership of NATO. 28 of the Alliance's 30 members had already approved Finland's candidacy, but Sweden's bid remains pending.

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08:34: Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka admits there is "a lot of tension" with Ukrainian women on professional tennis tour

"Of course there is a lot of tension between us," Belarusian world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka admitted Friday about relations, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, between players from all three countries. "But I remain convinced that I have done nothing wrong to the Ukrainians - neither me nor the Russians," defended the winner of the last Australian Open, after her victory at the expense of the Greek Maria Sakkari, to reach the final of the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells, California. "None of us have control over this situation. We all try to stay calm in the locker room... We understand all Ukrainians and we feel really bad for them," she added.

08:22: Any hope for the Ukrainian grain deal?

Turkey still hopes that the international agreement on the export of grain from Ukraine, crucial to mitigate the food crisis in the world, can be extended by 120 days to a day before its expiry and is working to convince Moscow and Kiev. "The deadline is approaching. We are in contact with Ukraine and Russia to extend the agreement under the original conditions," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.

The agreement is theoretically due to expire on March 18 at 23:59 Istanbul time, but since Monday the greatest uncertainty reigns. After a meeting with senior UN officials in Geneva, Moscow announced that it was not against extending the agreement but for only 60 days. The text states that the Initiative must be "automatically extended for the same period (of 120 days) unless one of the parties notifies the other of its intention to terminate or modify it."

08h08 : We recap

If you missed yesterday's live, there's still time to catch up, right here.


And if you are the type to swallow breakfast quickly, even on weekends, the recap 'is also available.



08:00 : A new live is rising

Hello, and welcome to this new live dedicated to the war in Ukraine. The day after the arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin by the ICC, a "historic decision" welcomed by Volodymyr Zelensky, the Russian president is preparing to receive his Chinese counterpart. Today's issue is likely to be the grain agreement, which expires tonight and is to be extended. Follow us all day long...

  • War in Ukraine
  • Topicality
  • World
  • Russia
  • Vladimir Poutine
  • NATO
  • Volodymyr Zelensky