Ukraine says it has withdrawn its troops from the eastern village of Lastochkyne in a bid to counter a Russian advance. Russia says it has now seized the village near the town of Avdiivka, which fell to Russian forces last week. This comes as French President Emmanuel Macron is set to host a conference in Paris to discuss Europe’s role in supporting Ukraine as it defends itself against the Russian invasion. Macron is likely to also use the conference to plead for more European autonomy in security matters, something he championed even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine was launched two years ago. DO you think that it was Russian strategy to force Ukraine troops to withdraw ?

