Cash-strapped Taliban look to airspace for windfall
Far above Kabul, the cash-strapped Taliban government has located a potentially lucrative revenue stream: Afghanistan’s airspace. As Israel and Iran’s exchange of missiles threw flight paths into disarray this year, the skies above Afghanistan offered carriers a less turbulent and faster route to ply — for a flat $700 overflight fee, according to industry insiders.The US aviation authority eased restrictions on the country’s airspace and paved the way for commercial flyovers in 2023, two years after the Taliban takeover. Airspace that had long been avoided — as the country endured four decades of war and shifting powerbrokers — suddenly became a viable option, allowing carriers to abbreviate routes and save on fuel costs.But it was not until the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June that the route really gained traction, allowing the Taliban government to potentially rake in millions. Faced with shuttered airspace over Iran and Iraq, and unpredictable openings and closures across the Middle East, airlines saw reason to divert course and found refuge over Afghanistan. While missiles clogged the neighbouring airspace, “the risk of flying over Afghanistan (was) virtually zero”, said France-based aerospace and defence consultant Xavier Tytelman. “It’s like flying over the sea.” May’s average of 50 planes cutting through Afghanistan each day skyrocketed to around 280 after June 13, when the Iran-Israel war erupted, data from tracking website Flightradar24 showed. Since then, in any given day, more than 200 planes often traverse Afghanistan — equivalent to roughly $4.2 million a month, though this figure is difficult to verify as the authorities do not publish budgets and have declined to comment.- Opaque transactions -While not a princely sum in terms of government revenue, the overflight fees offer a much-needed boost to Afghanistan’s coffers as it contends with a massive humanitarian crisis and a war-battered economy. Around 85 percent of Afghanistan’s population live on less than one dollar a day, according to the UN, and nearly one in four Afghans aged 15 to 29 are unemployed.The World Bank says overflight fees contributed to modest growth in Afghanistan’s economy in 2024, before the route began attracting carriers needing to bypass Iran.International airlines returned to Afghanistan starting in 2023, with Turkish Airlines, flydubai and Air Arabia making almost daily flights from Afghan airports.Others, such as Singapore Airlines, Air France, Aeroflot, Air Canada and Swiss Air, fly over Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif or Kandahar — as practicality outweighs the risks, which remain.Consultant Tytelman warned that Afghanistan is still a less than ideal place to land in case of technical or medical emergencies, with potential complications due to a lack of spare parts and dilapidated health care services. Yet he noted, “planes are landing in Kabul every day”. Airlines were loath to discuss the mechanics of paying the Taliban government, which remains isolated by many countries in part over its restrictions on women.Multiple companies contacted by AFP said they do not provide overflight payment information. Afghanistan’s aviation officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and would not confirm the overflight fees or the process by which they are paid.”Companies are not formally prohibited from trading with Afghanistan, as US sanctions target only certain Taliban officials,” a World Bank expert told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. However, “some abstain out of fear of being associated with the ruling power”, he added. Industry insiders speaking on condition of anonymity said the $700 overflight fees are paid to third-party intermediaries, such as the United Arab Emirates-based GAAC Holding, which manages airports in Afghanistan, or overflight brokers.Some airlines may now even pay directly, as more countries develop diplomatic ties with the Taliban government. – Reinforcing authority -Only Russia has officially recognised the Taliban authorities, who are hamstrung by frozen assets, sanctions on individuals and a lack of trust in the banking sector. Against such economic headwinds, the airspace revenue stream “is helpful for the cash-strapped current administration”, said Sulaiman Bin Shah, former deputy minister of industry and commerce in the ousted government and founder of the Catalysts Afghanistan consultancy. But Bin Shah emphasised the overflight traffic offers more than just financial benefits, as it increases normalisation of the Taliban authorities. “It reinforces their grip on state functions and supports the image of a functioning government, even without formal international recognition,” he said. “So while the income itself is not transformative, it plays a meaningful role in the administration’s economic narrative and political positioning.”
Cash-strapped Taliban look to airspace for windfall
Far above Kabul, the cash-strapped Taliban government has located a potentially lucrative revenue stream: Afghanistan’s airspace. As Israel and Iran’s exchange of missiles threw flight paths into disarray this year, the skies above Afghanistan offered carriers a less turbulent and faster route to ply — for a flat $700 overflight fee, according to industry insiders.The US aviation authority eased restrictions on the country’s airspace and paved the way for commercial flyovers in 2023, two years after the Taliban takeover. Airspace that had long been avoided — as the country endured four decades of war and shifting powerbrokers — suddenly became a viable option, allowing carriers to abbreviate routes and save on fuel costs.But it was not until the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June that the route really gained traction, allowing the Taliban government to potentially rake in millions. Faced with shuttered airspace over Iran and Iraq, and unpredictable openings and closures across the Middle East, airlines saw reason to divert course and found refuge over Afghanistan. While missiles clogged the neighbouring airspace, “the risk of flying over Afghanistan (was) virtually zero”, said France-based aerospace and defence consultant Xavier Tytelman. “It’s like flying over the sea.” May’s average of 50 planes cutting through Afghanistan each day skyrocketed to around 280 after June 13, when the Iran-Israel war erupted, data from tracking website Flightradar24 showed. Since then, in any given day, more than 200 planes often traverse Afghanistan — equivalent to roughly $4.2 million a month, though this figure is difficult to verify as the authorities do not publish budgets and have declined to comment.- Opaque transactions -While not a princely sum in terms of government revenue, the overflight fees offer a much-needed boost to Afghanistan’s coffers as it contends with a massive humanitarian crisis and a war-battered economy. Around 85 percent of Afghanistan’s population live on less than one dollar a day, according to the UN, and nearly one in four Afghans aged 15 to 29 are unemployed.The World Bank says overflight fees contributed to modest growth in Afghanistan’s economy in 2024, before the route began attracting carriers needing to bypass Iran.International airlines returned to Afghanistan starting in 2023, with Turkish Airlines, flydubai and Air Arabia making almost daily flights from Afghan airports.Others, such as Singapore Airlines, Air France, Aeroflot, Air Canada and Swiss Air, fly over Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif or Kandahar — as practicality outweighs the risks, which remain.Consultant Tytelman warned that Afghanistan is still a less than ideal place to land in case of technical or medical emergencies, with potential complications due to a lack of spare parts and dilapidated health care services. Yet he noted, “planes are landing in Kabul every day”. Airlines were loath to discuss the mechanics of paying the Taliban government, which remains isolated by many countries in part over its restrictions on women.Multiple companies contacted by AFP said they do not provide overflight payment information. Afghanistan’s aviation officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and would not confirm the overflight fees or the process by which they are paid.”Companies are not formally prohibited from trading with Afghanistan, as US sanctions target only certain Taliban officials,” a World Bank expert told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. However, “some abstain out of fear of being associated with the ruling power”, he added. Industry insiders speaking on condition of anonymity said the $700 overflight fees are paid to third-party intermediaries, such as the United Arab Emirates-based GAAC Holding, which manages airports in Afghanistan, or overflight brokers.Some airlines may now even pay directly, as more countries develop diplomatic ties with the Taliban government. – Reinforcing authority -Only Russia has officially recognised the Taliban authorities, who are hamstrung by frozen assets, sanctions on individuals and a lack of trust in the banking sector. Against such economic headwinds, the airspace revenue stream “is helpful for the cash-strapped current administration”, said Sulaiman Bin Shah, former deputy minister of industry and commerce in the ousted government and founder of the Catalysts Afghanistan consultancy. But Bin Shah emphasised the overflight traffic offers more than just financial benefits, as it increases normalisation of the Taliban authorities. “It reinforces their grip on state functions and supports the image of a functioning government, even without formal international recognition,” he said. “So while the income itself is not transformative, it plays a meaningful role in the administration’s economic narrative and political positioning.”
Rentrée sociale: les syndicats vont choisir une date pour mobiliser contre le projet de budget
L’ensemble des huit confédérations syndicales françaises se réunissent vendredi matin au siège de la CFDT à Paris pour lancer une mobilisation unitaire contre le projet de budget du gouvernement en suspens de François Bayrou.La CFDT, la CGT, FO, la CFE-CGC, la CFTC, l’Unsa, la FSU et Solidaires se retrouveront dès 8 heures du matin, avant une conférence de presse prévue à 10 heures.Ils devraient choisir une date pour manifester contre les projets d’économies budgétaires, contre lesquels l’intersyndicale a lancé une pétition qui recueillait jeudi 360.000 signatures.Face au “musée des horreurs” des propositions du Premier ministre et à “une grande colère” en France, l’intersyndicale définira aussi “quelles revendications on porte” et “un mot d’ordre qui permette (…) à tous ceux qui veulent manifester de le faire”, a déclaré jeudi soir sur BFMTV la dirigeante de la CFDT Marylise Léon. La mobilisation devrait être programmée pour après le 8 septembre, le gouvernement risquant de tomber à cette date lors du vote de confiance, a-t-elle laissé entendre jeudi matin sur RTL.La CFDT n’appuie pas l’appel du 10 septembre, car “tout bloquer, la désobéissance, ce n’est pas la méthode de la CFDT” et “le syndicat ne répond pas aux injonctions des partis politiques”, selon Marylise Léon. Ce mouvement aux contours flous, qui rappelle celui des Gilets Jaunes fin 2018-début 2019, a reçu le soutien de la CGT, avec des réserves toutefois de sa cheffe de file Sophie Binet, qui craint un “noyautage de l’extrême droite”.Plusieurs fédérations cégétistes, dont celles de la chimie ainsi que du commerce et des services, comme plusieurs unions départementales, avaient appelé ces dernières semaines à se mobiliser le 10 septembre.Après une réunion de son instance dirigeante cette semaine, la centrale de Montreuil a dit souhaiter que cette date soit une “première étape réussie” et a appelé “à construire la grève partout où c’est possible”.Solidaires a appelé à la grève le 10 septembre et à soutenir le mouvement “bloquons tout”, désormais soutenu par la gauche, avec en plus, pour La France insoumise, un appel à la grève générale.Force Ouvrière devrait officiellement se déterminer vendredi sur le 10 septembre. Son chef de file Frédéric Souillot a toutefois déjà dit rester “à distance” d’un mouvement dont certains groupes rejettent les syndicats représentatifs, d’après lui.Le mouvement, né sur les réseaux sociaux et messageries, n’est pas non plus du goût de la CFE-CGC, qualifié par son président François Hommeril d'”appel aux origines nébuleuses et aux exigences baroques, qui plus est pollué par une récupération politique conjoncturelle”.
Trump thumbs nose at decades of India courtship
India once united US policymakers like few issues. For nearly three decades, US presidents of both parties courted New Delhi as an emerging ally, politely overlooking disagreements for the sake of larger goals.Donald Trump has abruptly changed that.The US administration on Wednesday slapped 50 percent tariffs on many Indian products as Trump seeks to punish India for buying oil from Russia.India was a Cold War partner of Moscow but since the 1990s US leaders have hoped for a joint front with fellow democracy India in the face of the rise of China, seen by Washington as its top long-term adversary.In striking timing, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to China this weekend, the latest meeting between the world’s two most populous nations as they explore areas of common ground.Trump has accused India of fueling Moscow’s deadly attacks on Ukraine by purchasing Russian oil. Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro even called Ukraine “Modi’s war” in a Bloomberg TV interview Wednesday.Yet Trump has refrained from tougher US sanctions on Russia itself, saying he still hopes for a negotiated settlement despite wide pessimism.”This is not just about tariffs, not just about Russia, not just about oil,” said Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution.”There seems to be something broader going on here — personal on Trump’s side, piqued as he may be at India,” she said.”And then on the Indian side, for Modi, it becomes a political issue.”- Faltering bromance -Trump and Modi, both right-wing populists, appeared to forge a strong bond during Trump’s first term.In 2020, Trump rejoiced as Modi invited him to inaugurate the world’s largest cricket stadium in front more than 120,000 people.But Trump has since appeared irritated as he seeks credit for what he said was Nobel Prize-worthy diplomacy between Pakistan and India, which struck its neighbor in May in response to a massacre of Indian civilians in divided Kashmir.India, which adamantly rejects any third-party mediation on Kashmir, has since given the cold shoulder to Trump as he muses of brokering between New Delhi and Islamabad.Pakistan by contrast has embraced Trump’s attention, with its powerful army chief meeting him at the White House.US policymakers have long skirted around India’s sensitivities on Kashmir and sought to contain fallout from disagreements on other issues.Jake Sullivan, national security advisor under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, said that Trump had broken a bipartisan consensus with his “massive trade offensive” against India.India is now thinking “I guess maybe we have to go show up in Beijing and sit with the Chinese because we’ve got to hedge against America,” Sullivan told news and opinion site The Bulwark.Madan said that for the Indian establishment, the tariffs contradicted US assurances that unlike China, Washington would not use “economic ties to coerce India.””If you’re India, even if you sort this particular issue out, you’re now saying, we used to see this increasing interaction with the US across many domains as an opportunity,” she said.”And now Trump has made us realize that we should also see that integration or dependence as a vulnerability.”- Chance for China -For China, Modi’s trip is an opportunity “to drive a wedge between India and the US,” said William Yang, an analyst at the International Crisis Group.”Beijing won’t miss the opportunity to present itself as a ‘reliable partner’ that is interested in deepening relations with New Delhi,” he said.But he noted that India and China still had fundamental differences, despite recent efforts to resolve a longstanding border dispute.China is the key partner and military supplier of Pakistan and has sought to ramp up influence in the Indian Ocean.Kriti Upadhyaya, a visiting fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, played down long-term consequences of the tariff rift, noting how much the US-India relationship has developed in recent years.”When you really like somebody, a friend who’s close to you, you’re always going to have more grievances with them,” she said.
Trump thumbs nose at decades of India courtship
India once united US policymakers like few issues. For nearly three decades, US presidents of both parties courted New Delhi as an emerging ally, politely overlooking disagreements for the sake of larger goals.Donald Trump has abruptly changed that.The US administration on Wednesday slapped 50 percent tariffs on many Indian products as Trump seeks to punish India for buying oil from Russia.India was a Cold War partner of Moscow but since the 1990s US leaders have hoped for a joint front with fellow democracy India in the face of the rise of China, seen by Washington as its top long-term adversary.In striking timing, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to China this weekend, the latest meeting between the world’s two most populous nations as they explore areas of common ground.Trump has accused India of fueling Moscow’s deadly attacks on Ukraine by purchasing Russian oil. Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro even called Ukraine “Modi’s war” in a Bloomberg TV interview Wednesday.Yet Trump has refrained from tougher US sanctions on Russia itself, saying he still hopes for a negotiated settlement despite wide pessimism.”This is not just about tariffs, not just about Russia, not just about oil,” said Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution.”There seems to be something broader going on here — personal on Trump’s side, piqued as he may be at India,” she said.”And then on the Indian side, for Modi, it becomes a political issue.”- Faltering bromance -Trump and Modi, both right-wing populists, appeared to forge a strong bond during Trump’s first term.In 2020, Trump rejoiced as Modi invited him to inaugurate the world’s largest cricket stadium in front more than 120,000 people.But Trump has since appeared irritated as he seeks credit for what he said was Nobel Prize-worthy diplomacy between Pakistan and India, which struck its neighbor in May in response to a massacre of Indian civilians in divided Kashmir.India, which adamantly rejects any third-party mediation on Kashmir, has since given the cold shoulder to Trump as he muses of brokering between New Delhi and Islamabad.Pakistan by contrast has embraced Trump’s attention, with its powerful army chief meeting him at the White House.US policymakers have long skirted around India’s sensitivities on Kashmir and sought to contain fallout from disagreements on other issues.Jake Sullivan, national security advisor under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, said that Trump had broken a bipartisan consensus with his “massive trade offensive” against India.India is now thinking “I guess maybe we have to go show up in Beijing and sit with the Chinese because we’ve got to hedge against America,” Sullivan told news and opinion site The Bulwark.Madan said that for the Indian establishment, the tariffs contradicted US assurances that unlike China, Washington would not use “economic ties to coerce India.””If you’re India, even if you sort this particular issue out, you’re now saying, we used to see this increasing interaction with the US across many domains as an opportunity,” she said.”And now Trump has made us realize that we should also see that integration or dependence as a vulnerability.”- Chance for China -For China, Modi’s trip is an opportunity “to drive a wedge between India and the US,” said William Yang, an analyst at the International Crisis Group.”Beijing won’t miss the opportunity to present itself as a ‘reliable partner’ that is interested in deepening relations with New Delhi,” he said.But he noted that India and China still had fundamental differences, despite recent efforts to resolve a longstanding border dispute.China is the key partner and military supplier of Pakistan and has sought to ramp up influence in the Indian Ocean.Kriti Upadhyaya, a visiting fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, played down long-term consequences of the tariff rift, noting how much the US-India relationship has developed in recent years.”When you really like somebody, a friend who’s close to you, you’re always going to have more grievances with them,” she said.
Ukraine: le bilan des frappes russes sur Kiev porté à 23 morts, tollé chez les Européens
Le bilan de frappes de missiles et de drones russes qui ont éventré tôt jeudi des immeubles d’habitation à Kiev s’est alourdi à au moins 23 morts vendredi, dont quatre enfants, après l’une des plus importantes attaques aériennes russes contre l’Ukraine.Le président américain Donald Trump n’est “pas content” mais “pas surpris” par ces bombardements, a réagi jeudi sa porte-parole, Karoline Leavitt.Son émissaire spécial pour l’Ukraine, Keith Kellogg avait dénoncé plus tôt de “terribles attaques” menaçant “la paix que le président des Etats-Unis cherche à obtenir”.Cette attaque est intervenue alors que des membres de l’équipe du président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky doivent rencontrer vendredi à New York des représentants du gouvernement américain.Washington a annoncé jeudi avoir approuvé la vente à l’Ukraine de 3.350 missiles à longue portée et d’équipements connexes pour un montant total de 825 millions de dollars, le gouvernement américain soulignant que cela devrait aider Kiev à mieux se défendre.L’attaque de grande ampleur sur Kiev dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi a coûté la vie à 23 personnes, dont quatre enfants, et une cinquantaine ont été blessées, selon un nouveau bilan annoncé par Tymour Tkatchenko, chef de l’administration militaire de Kiev tôt vendredi.Des représentations de l’Union européenne et du Royaume-Uni ont été endommagés à Kiev par ces frappes. Conséquence: l’UE et les autorités britanniques ont respectivement convoqué les ambassadeurs russes à Bruxelles et à Londres.- “J’aurais été enseveli” -M. Zelensky a accusé Moscou de préférer “continuer à tuer” plutôt que de négocier la paix.Il a dit espérer de nouvelles sanctions contre Moscou et appelé les partenaires du Kremlin, tels que la Chine et la Hongrie (membre de l’Union européenne), à adopter une positions ferme vis-à-vis de la Russie, qui occupe 20% du territoire ukrainien.Dans un quartier de l’est de Kiev, les secouristes ont dégagé plusieurs corps d’un bâtiment résidentiel totalement détruit, ont constaté des journalistes de l’AFP sur place.”Si j’étais allé à l’abri une minute plus tard, je ne serais pas là aujourd’hui, j’aurais été enseveli”, a raconté Andriï, blessé à l’oeil et dont l’appartement a été soufflé. Pendant cette attaque nocturne, les forces russes ont tiré 598 drones et 31 missiles sur l’Ukraine, selon l’armée de l’air ukrainienne.La Russie “ne recule devant rien” pour “terroriser” l’Ukraine, a souligné la présidente de la Commission européenne Ursula von der Leyen, qui au cours d’un échange téléphonique avec Donald Trump a appelé Vladimir Poutine à “venir à la table des négociations”.Celui-ci “tue des enfants et des civils et sabote les espoirs de paix”, s’est emporté le Premier ministre Britannique Keir Starmer, le président français Emmanuel Macron fustigeant des “attaques insensées d’une grande cruauté”.Le porte-parole du Kremlin Dmitri Peskov a pour sa part assuré jeudi que la Russie restait “intéressée” par des négociations de paix avec l’Ukraine mais qu’elle poursuivrait ses bombardements tant que ses “objectifs” ne seraient pas atteints.L’armée russe, qui affirme ne jamais cibler des civils, a affirmé avoir visé des sites du “complexe militaro-industriel” ukrainien.- “Rien accompli” -Fin juillet, des bombardements russes avaient fait plus de 30 morts à Kiev, l’une des attaques les plus meurtrières qu’ait subies cette ville. Ces frappes avaient poussé Donald Trump à accroître la pression sur Moscou, sans pour autant parvenir à lui faire accepter une trêve, et conduit à sa rencontre avec son homologue russe en Alaska le 15 août.Après ce sommet,le président américain avait dit vouloir préparer une réunion en face-à-face entre les chefs d’Etat russe et ukrainien, mais cette perspective semble s’éloigner.Charles Kushner, l’ambassadeur des Etats-Unis en France, a assuré dans une interview sur LCI jeudi que les initiatives de Donald Trump avaient permis de progresser vers la paix, critiquant le manque de résultat des Européens. “Quelle a été la réussite des Européens pour négocier et amener Poutine à discuter autour d’une table?”, a-t-il demandé. Les Européens “n’ont rien accompli”. “Le président Trump se moque du protocole mais il peut sans doute obtenir quelque chose, en particulier avec Poutine.”Avant la conclusion d’un hypothétique accord de paix, l’Ukraine veut obtenir des garanties de sécurité des Occidentaux pour dissuader le Kremlin de toute nouvelle attaque.Pour mettre fin à son assaut, la Russie réclame pour sa part que l’Ukraine lui cède quatre régions partiellement occupées, en plus de la Crimée annexée en 2014, et renonce à intégrer l’Alliance atlantique. Ce que Kiev juge inacceptable.burx-fv/pop/rco/mr/lgo/phs
Ukraine: le bilan des frappes russes sur Kiev porté à 23 morts, tollé chez les Européens
Le bilan de frappes de missiles et de drones russes qui ont éventré tôt jeudi des immeubles d’habitation à Kiev s’est alourdi à au moins 23 morts vendredi, dont quatre enfants, après l’une des plus importantes attaques aériennes russes contre l’Ukraine.Le président américain Donald Trump n’est “pas content” mais “pas surpris” par ces bombardements, a réagi jeudi sa porte-parole, Karoline Leavitt.Son émissaire spécial pour l’Ukraine, Keith Kellogg avait dénoncé plus tôt de “terribles attaques” menaçant “la paix que le président des Etats-Unis cherche à obtenir”.Cette attaque est intervenue alors que des membres de l’équipe du président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky doivent rencontrer vendredi à New York des représentants du gouvernement américain.Washington a annoncé jeudi avoir approuvé la vente à l’Ukraine de 3.350 missiles à longue portée et d’équipements connexes pour un montant total de 825 millions de dollars, le gouvernement américain soulignant que cela devrait aider Kiev à mieux se défendre.L’attaque de grande ampleur sur Kiev dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi a coûté la vie à 23 personnes, dont quatre enfants, et une cinquantaine ont été blessées, selon un nouveau bilan annoncé par Tymour Tkatchenko, chef de l’administration militaire de Kiev tôt vendredi.Des représentations de l’Union européenne et du Royaume-Uni ont été endommagés à Kiev par ces frappes. Conséquence: l’UE et les autorités britanniques ont respectivement convoqué les ambassadeurs russes à Bruxelles et à Londres.- “J’aurais été enseveli” -M. Zelensky a accusé Moscou de préférer “continuer à tuer” plutôt que de négocier la paix.Il a dit espérer de nouvelles sanctions contre Moscou et appelé les partenaires du Kremlin, tels que la Chine et la Hongrie (membre de l’Union européenne), à adopter une positions ferme vis-à-vis de la Russie, qui occupe 20% du territoire ukrainien.Dans un quartier de l’est de Kiev, les secouristes ont dégagé plusieurs corps d’un bâtiment résidentiel totalement détruit, ont constaté des journalistes de l’AFP sur place.”Si j’étais allé à l’abri une minute plus tard, je ne serais pas là aujourd’hui, j’aurais été enseveli”, a raconté Andriï, blessé à l’oeil et dont l’appartement a été soufflé. Pendant cette attaque nocturne, les forces russes ont tiré 598 drones et 31 missiles sur l’Ukraine, selon l’armée de l’air ukrainienne.La Russie “ne recule devant rien” pour “terroriser” l’Ukraine, a souligné la présidente de la Commission européenne Ursula von der Leyen, qui au cours d’un échange téléphonique avec Donald Trump a appelé Vladimir Poutine à “venir à la table des négociations”.Celui-ci “tue des enfants et des civils et sabote les espoirs de paix”, s’est emporté le Premier ministre Britannique Keir Starmer, le président français Emmanuel Macron fustigeant des “attaques insensées d’une grande cruauté”.Le porte-parole du Kremlin Dmitri Peskov a pour sa part assuré jeudi que la Russie restait “intéressée” par des négociations de paix avec l’Ukraine mais qu’elle poursuivrait ses bombardements tant que ses “objectifs” ne seraient pas atteints.L’armée russe, qui affirme ne jamais cibler des civils, a affirmé avoir visé des sites du “complexe militaro-industriel” ukrainien.- “Rien accompli” -Fin juillet, des bombardements russes avaient fait plus de 30 morts à Kiev, l’une des attaques les plus meurtrières qu’ait subies cette ville. Ces frappes avaient poussé Donald Trump à accroître la pression sur Moscou, sans pour autant parvenir à lui faire accepter une trêve, et conduit à sa rencontre avec son homologue russe en Alaska le 15 août.Après ce sommet,le président américain avait dit vouloir préparer une réunion en face-à-face entre les chefs d’Etat russe et ukrainien, mais cette perspective semble s’éloigner.Charles Kushner, l’ambassadeur des Etats-Unis en France, a assuré dans une interview sur LCI jeudi que les initiatives de Donald Trump avaient permis de progresser vers la paix, critiquant le manque de résultat des Européens. “Quelle a été la réussite des Européens pour négocier et amener Poutine à discuter autour d’une table?”, a-t-il demandé. Les Européens “n’ont rien accompli”. “Le président Trump se moque du protocole mais il peut sans doute obtenir quelque chose, en particulier avec Poutine.”Avant la conclusion d’un hypothétique accord de paix, l’Ukraine veut obtenir des garanties de sécurité des Occidentaux pour dissuader le Kremlin de toute nouvelle attaque.Pour mettre fin à son assaut, la Russie réclame pour sa part que l’Ukraine lui cède quatre régions partiellement occupées, en plus de la Crimée annexée en 2014, et renonce à intégrer l’Alliance atlantique. Ce que Kiev juge inacceptable.burx-fv/pop/rco/mr/lgo/phs