A summary of today's developments
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukraine’s military has asked for an additional 450-500,000 people to be mobilised into the army but that a final decision had not been taken. He told a news conference in Kyiv that top military and government officials were due to discuss “this very sensitive issue of mobilisation” and that parliament would then consider it.
The conference comes as Kyiv’s two biggest allies, the US and the EU have failed to approve two separate support packages despite Zelenskiy travelling to Washington to lobby lawmakers in person. “I am certain, US and European financial support will continue,” Zelenskiy said. “I’m confident the United States won’t betray us,” he added.
Zelenskiy said that if elected US president, Donald Trump will “definitely have a different policy” than the current administration. “If the policies of the next president are different, whoever he or she might be, are colder, or more frugal, I think those signals will have a very big impact on the course of the war in Ukraine. Because that’s how the whole world works. If one strong part falls out, the mechanism starts to fall apart,” he said.
During the two-hour news conference, Zelenskiy said Ukraine will produce one million drones next year while work is under way to return a “significant amount” of Russian-held prisoners of war.
Leaders of the U.S. Senate said a deal to provide additional aid to Ukraine and bolster U.S. border security was not likely to come together soon, with one senior Democrat saying that action would probably be postponed until January, Reuters reports. Republican and Democratic negotiators have been working to pass a funding package before leaving town for a year-end holiday break. Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, said that was not likely.
Russia probably fired a ballistic missile – described as a “super weapon” – at Ukraine last Thursday, in the first such launch in several months, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said.
Italy’s cabinet has passed a law decree that allows it to continue supplying Ukraine with “means, materials and equipment” until the end of 2024 to support its war effort against Russia, a defence ministry statement said.
Denmark has said it had agreed to enhance its military cooperation with the US, AFP reported. “We are now strengthening our bilateral defence cooperation, and we do not want to hide the fact that the agreement with the US also marks a breakthrough in Danish defence policy, as it involves US soldiers and US material on Danish soil,” Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, told a press conference.
Russia is upgrading its nuclear arsenal and keeping its strategic forces at the highest level of readiness as the west wages a “hybrid war” against it, Vladimir Putin told a conference of senior defence officials. Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said Russia had laid 7,000 sq km of minefields along the 2,000km frontline.
Russia has summoned Finland’s ambassador over concerns about a new defence agreement between Helsinki and Washington, the Russian foreign ministry said. Russian officials told the ambassador that Moscow would “take the necessary measures to counter the aggressive decisions of Finland and its Nato allies”, notably the growing Nato military presence near its border, ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, said there had been an “extensive failure” by Russia to protect civilians in Ukraine and that there were indications that Russian forces had committed war crimes there.
Britain and France will continue to be “staunch supporters” of Ukraine for as long as it takes, the UK’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, said after a meeting with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, in Paris.
Leaders of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday said a deal to provide additional aid to Ukraine and bolster U.S. border security was not likely to come together soon, with one senior Democrat saying that action would probably be postponed until January, Reuters reports.
Republican and Democratic negotiators have been working to pass a funding package before leaving town for a year-end holiday break. Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, said that was not likely.
“I hope that they’re going to prepare the text and sit down and roll up their sleeves and finish up as soon as we get back in January,” he told reporters.
The chamber’s top Democrat and Republican said the talks were productive but would not be complete any time soon.
“Everyone understands that we have more work to do, and that’s going to take more time,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor.
Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said those involved were “making slow and steady progress.”
The White House has warned that by the end of the year U.S. aid will run out to help Ukraine retake territory occupied by Russia since the 2022 invasion.
The Biden administration’s request for another $61 billion in support has been bogged down in Congress, where Republicans say it must be paired with tougher immigration controls along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The news conference has now concluded.
Zelenskiy praises his wife Olena for the work she has done on mental health support.
Zelenskiy is asked whether he is afraid Ukrainians are divided as a society towards supporting the war and him as president.
He said: “I can only tell you that it has been an honour for me to be the president.
“People are watching me, my work, my serving Ukraine, and if they do not like it, then this is their choice, the choice of Ukrainians, this is normal.”
Zelenskiy: Ukraine will make one million drones next year
Zelenskiy adds Ukraine will produce one million drones next year.
Ukraine has been working to increase its domestic weapon production since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“It’s really bad when we are still left with old Soviet red tape in terms of the logistics,” he said.
Zelenskiy adds; “We will make one million drones next year, we will do that. We will do everything to make this happen.”
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Zelenskiy believes the summer counteroffensive was difficult in southern Ukraine because everyone talked about what its plans were. He does not go into details about its upcoming plans.
“Everyone was talking about the goals and everyone was discussing details about how we will get there.”
He adds “it shouldn’t play like that” because Russia “still has more weapons”.
“I cannot tell you any details about our counteroffensive.”
Zelenskiy acknowledges that prisoner exchanges have been happening more slowly for specific reasons on the Russian side, but will soon happen more actively
He adds: “This process is becoming more complicated, indeed, you may be right that the authorities are not communicating sufficiently [to relatives].
“This track slowed down due to reasons of the Russian Federation.
“This track will open, we are currently working on a fairly significant amount of our people so that we will be able to return them.”
Zelenskiy is asked if he believes statements from Germany about supporting Ukraine “until the very end”.
“Germany, headed by Olaf Scholz, is second in terms of the amount of support we receive
“It is second in terms of the global support to Ukraine. I’m talking about financial and military support.
“I want to express words of gratitude to him for doing that.”
He adds whether this support is “until the end”, time will tell and “he will see”.
When asked what does victory mean, Zelenskiy responds: “I have to defend our country in accordance to our constitution” which includes the Donbas and Crimea,.
“The more Russia will retreat, the weaker it will be”, including on the international arena.
“Ukraine will succeed.”
Zelenskiy insists he has a working relationship with army chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi amid speculation of a rift.
He said it is not about personal relationships but about responsibility and strategy.
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Zelenskiy believes Russia’s war goals have not changed which shows they do not want peace.
He adds that the next “peace formula” will be held with other nations in Davos, Switzerland.
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Zelenskiy said that if elected US president, Donald Trump will “definitely have a different policy” than the current administration.
“If the policies of the next president are different, whoever he or she might be, are colder, or more frugal, I think those signals will have a very big impact on the course of the war in Ukraine. Because that’s how the whole world works. If one strong part falls out, the mechanism starts to fall apart,” Zelensky said.
There have been fears in Kyiv and the west that under a Trump presidency, the US will curtail its support for Ukraine and improve Russia’s negotiating position.
Zelenskiy admits the process of agreeing security guarantees with partners is going slower than expected.
And he dismisses the idea of a partial membership of Nato.
Zelenskiy said its not about negotiating a compromise with Poland but about survival. He asks to be given the opportunity to get its grain out of the country.
Zelenskiy says the grain issue should not be politicised and hopes the new government in Poland will stop the border blockade.
Polish truckers have been blocking several border crossings with Ukraine since early Novermber demanding that the EU reinstate a system whereby Ukrainian companies require permits to operate in the bloc.
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On relations with Poland and issues over blockades, Zelenskiy thanks the country for its support from the outset. He said “we need to be open minded with you” and Ukraine has had powerful relationships with Poland’s cabinet ministers.
Zelenskiy said an additional 500 billion hryvnias ($13.5 billion) in financing would be required to support the mobilisation of 450,000-500,000 people if the decision would be taken.
Former defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said last summer that about 1 million people was engaged in Ukraine’s security and defence sector.
Zelenskiy told the news conference that the country’s elections cannot be conducted during the war.
The idea of holding elections has been widely discussed in Ukraine despite them being prohibited under martial law.
Zelenskiy has repeatedly said holding elections could undermine unity and be easily exploited by Russia.
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The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is holding a year-end news conference as he and his military leaders look to boost domestic morale and maintain Western support as the war with Russia heads toward its third year.
The conference comes as Kyiv’s two biggest allies, the US and the EU have failed to approve two separate support packages despite Zelenskiy travelling to Washington to lobby lawmakers in person.
“I am certain, US and European financial support will continue,” Zelenskiy said.
“I’m confident the United States won’t betray us,” he added.
Zelenskiy also stated that the Ukrainian military had asked him to mobilise an additional 450-500,000 people, but the Ukrainian leader said he has not yet approved the mobilisation figure because he said there was “no understanding yet on rotations and vacations for those who are fighting.”
Earlier in the day, Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu said that he aimed to increase the army to 1.5 million servicemen, in a sign of Russia’s intention to prolong the fighting in Ukraine.
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Zelenskiy rejected notions that the country is heading towards defeat, insisting they have been in a tougher position before since the conflict began in February 2022.
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Zelenskiy said that it has been a difficult year but Russia failed to achieve any results in 2023.
Zelenskiy acknowledged that he does not know when the conflict will end but believes if Ukraine remains “resilient”, the war will conclude more quickly.
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Zelenskiy adds that he is certain that U.S. and European financial support will continue and Ukraine has a special relationship with them.
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Ukrainian army wants 450,000-500,00 more troops
Zelenskiy says the military has asked for an additional 450-500,000 people to be mobilised into the army but that a final decision had not been taken.
The Ukrainian leader told the news conference in Kyiv that top military and government officials were due to discuss “this very sensitive issue of mobilisation” and that parliament would then consider it.
Zelenskiy said that conducting a mobilisation at such a scale would require additional financing.
He added he is “confident” the U.S. will not let Ukraine down in terms of support.
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Zelenskiy has begun holding what has been billed by some in the media as a major news conference.
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Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to begin speaking at a news conference at about 4pm.
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Afternoon summary
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will take questions from journalists shortly (reportedly from about 16:00 GMT). It comes as some allies waver on aid and when recent polling suggests the general public are losing trust in Zelenskiy.
Russia probably fired a ballistic missile – described as a “super weapon” – at Ukraine last Thursday, in the first such launch in several months, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said.
Italy’s cabinet has passed a law decree that allows it to continue supplying Ukraine with “means, materials and equipment” until the end of 2024 to support its war effort against Russia, a defence ministry statement said.
Denmark has said it had agreed to enhance its military cooperation with the US, AFP reported. “We are now strengthening our bilateral defence cooperation, and we do not want to hide the fact that the agreement with the US also marks a breakthrough in Danish defence policy, as it involves US soldiers and US material on Danish soil,” Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, told a press conference.
Russia is upgrading its nuclear arsenal and keeping its strategic forces at the highest level of readiness as the west wages a “hybrid war” against it, Vladimir Putin told a conference of senior defence officials. Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said Russia had laid 7,000 sq km of minefields along the 2,000km frontline.
Russia has summoned Finland’s ambassador over concerns about a new defence agreement between Helsinki and Washington, the Russian foreign ministry said. Russian officials told the ambassador that Moscow would “take the necessary measures to counter the aggressive decisions of Finland and its Nato allies”, notably the growing Nato military presence near its border, ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, said there had been an “extensive failure” by Russia to protect civilians in Ukraine and that there were indications that Russian forces had committed war crimes there.
Britain and France will continue to be “staunch supporters” of Ukraine for as long as it takes, the UK’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, said after a meeting with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, in Paris.
Updated
Lithuania’s defence minister, Arvydas Anusauskas, has quoted a survey conducted by Spinter research on behalf of the Lithuanian armed forces.
He said yesterday that the main units of a German army brigade that is moving to Lithuania will start to arrive in 2025 and reach full fighting readiness in 2027.
The results of the poll indicate that:
82% of Lithuanians support the permanent deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania
83% of Lithuanians have a positive opinion about German soldiers
76% believe the German brigade will contribute to strengthening Lithuanian defence.
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Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has said the Russian military has seized the initiative on the battlefield in Ukraine after repelling Kyiv’s counteroffensive and is well positioned to achieve Moscow’s goals, the Associated Press reports.
“Our troops are holding the initiative,” he was quoted as saying at a meeting.
“We are effectively doing what we think is needed, doing what we want. Where our commanders consider it necessary to stick to active defences they are doing so, and we are improving our positions where it’s needed.”
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Russia likely fired 'super weapon' at Ukraine last week, says UK's MoD
Russia probably fired a ballistic missile – described as a “super weapon” – at Ukraine last Thursday, in the first such launch in several months, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has said.
In its latest intelligence update, the MoD wrote on X:
On 14 December 2023, the Russian Air Force highly likely carried out the first use of a AS-24 Killjoy air launched ballistic missile since August 2023.
Russia launched at least one missile into central Ukraine, likely targeting a military airfield.
One of the six ‘super weapons’ President Putin announced in 2018, Killjoy has been earmarked to play a major role in Russia’s future military doctrine.
In the Ukraine war, Russia has reserved the weapon for what it perceives as high value, well-defended targets.
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AFP has more quotes on what Vladimir Putin said at a defence ministry meeting earlier.
“Maybe this is the most important: the general consolidation of all the forces of society,” the Russian president said.
He thanked “everyone who helps our fighters at the front, transfers money, sends cars and drones and body armour” and praised a “patriotic spirit of solidarity”.
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A Polish court has convicted 14 citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine for preparing acts of sabotage on behalf of Moscow as part of a spy ring, AFP reports.
The defendants were charged last month with acts of espionage such as preparing to derail trains carrying aid to neighbouring Ukraine.
“After examining the case... the court found all the defendants guilty of the crimes charged, and found some of them to be operating within an organised criminal group,” judge Jaroslaw Kowalski said while delivering the verdict.
The 14 defendants were convicted in absentia after they all pleaded guilty and skipped the trial.
Italy to continue supplying Ukraine with war supplies
Italy’s cabinet has passed a law decree that allows it to continue supplying Ukraine with “means, materials and equipment” until the end of 2024 to support its war effort against Russia, a defence ministry statement has said.
Supplies will include weapons, power generators and “everything needed to support military operations in defence of unarmed civilians,” the statement said.
It added that the government would ask parliament to confirm the decision.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has hosted Finland’s foreign minister, Elina Valtonen.
He said they talked about how to support Ukraine and bolster US-Finnish relations.
A new defence agreement between Finland and the US is aimed at allowing swift military access and aid to Finland in case of conflict, officials have said.
Hosted Finnish Foreign Minister @ElinaValtonen to further strengthen U.S.-Finnish relations, support Ukraine, and advance our partnership on emerging technology. Also signed the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Finnish Defense Minister @AnttiHakkanen. pic.twitter.com/L8jglTZ4OQ
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) December 19, 2023
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A former Russian soldier has sought asylum in the Netherlands and wants to testify at the international criminal court about war crimes allegedly committed by Russia that he witnessed while fighting in Ukraine, a Dutch legal source has told Reuters.
Reuters reports:
The man, who identified himself in Dutch media as 60-year-old Igor Salikov, said he had been a member of the Russian-backed forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine since 2014, and had worked as an instructor for the Wagner mercenary group in Ukraine.
Reuters could not independently verify his position in either the pro-Russian separatist forces or the Wagner group.
Ukraine’s top war crimes prosecutor Yurii Belousov told Reuters that Salikov had already been in touch with Ukrainian prosecutors for more than six months and given testimony.
“He gave important testimony, some of which has already been confirmed, about the invasion of 24 February, 2022. He reported some war crimes, which we are investigating, and some have already been confirmed,” Belousov told Reuters in a text message.
Russia has vigorously denied committing atrocities or targeting civilians in Ukraine.
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Denmark enhances military cooperation with US
Denmark has said it had agreed to enhance its military cooperation with the US, AFP reports.
“We are now strengthening our bilateral defence cooperation, and we do not want to hide the fact that the agreement with the US also marks a breakthrough in Danish defence policy, as it involves US soldiers and US material on Danish soil,” Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, told a press conference.
The Defense Cooperation Agreement will allow for US personnel and materials to be stationed at “specific Danish military installations for both short and long term,” the Danish ministry of defence said.
It will grant the US access to three Danish air bases in Karup, Skrydstrup and Aalborg, according to the ministry.
Similarly, the US and Finland have signed a defence pact, allowing swift military access and aid to Finland, which shares a 1,340km border with Russia, in case of conflict (see earlier post at 10.36).
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Here are more quotes from Vladimir Putin, who spoke at a meeting of senior defence officials earlier today.
He said Russia would be prepared to talk to Ukraine, the US and Europe about the future of Ukraine if they wanted to, but that Moscow would defend its national interests, Reuters reports.
“In Ukraine, those who are aggressive towards Russia, and in Europe and in the United States - do they want to negotiate? Let them. But we will do it based on our national interests,” Putin told a meeting of the defence leadership in Moscow.
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The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has lowered expectations for Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the EU, citing Turkey’s longstanding attempts that have repeatedly failed.
EU leaders agreed last week to open talks with Ukraine and Moldova on accession.
However, speaking to reporters on a flight back from Hungary, Erdoğan said Turkey, which has been an EU candidate since 2005, had long earned the right to join the bloc but had been stalled over what he called political obstacles.
“Giving them candidate status does not mean they will become EU members. A process will start with them, they will be stalled too. None of these countries are a Turkey,” Erdoğan was cited as saying by his office.
“It is wrong for Turkey, which is more ready to join the EU than some member states, to be kept waiting at the door for years due to political obstacles,” he added.
Ankara’s bid to join the EU has been frozen for years due to EU concerns over Turkey’s record on human rights as well as differences over regional policies, including issues such as Cyprus.
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Summary of the day so far...
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will take questions from journalists later today at an end-of-year press conference (after 1400 GMT, according to AFP). It comes as some allies waver on aid and when recent polling suggests the general public are losing trust in Zelenskiy.
Russia is upgrading its nuclear arsenal and keeping its strategic forces at the highest level of readiness as the west wages a “hybrid war” against it, Vladimir Putin told a conference of senior defence officials. Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said Russia had laid 7,000 sq km of minefields along the 2,000km frontline.
Russia has summoned Finland’s ambassador over concerns about a new defence agreement between Helsinki and Washington, the Russian foreign ministry said. Russian officials told the ambassador that Moscow would “take the necessary measures to counter the aggressive decisions of Finland and its Nato allies”, notably the growing Nato military presence near its border, ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, said there had been an “extensive failure” by Russia to protect civilians in Ukraine and that there were indications that Russian forces had committed war crimes there.
Britain and France will continue to be “staunch supporters” of Ukraine for as long as it takes, the UK’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, said after a meeting with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, in Paris.
Updated
Russia is upgrading its nuclear arsenal as west wages 'hybrid war' against it, says Putin
Russia is upgrading its nuclear arsenal and keeping its strategic forces at the highest level of readiness as the west wages a “hybrid war” against it, Vladimir Putin told the conference of senior defence officials on Tuesday.
The Russian president, who is running for president in the March 2024 elections, said all attempts to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia had crumbled, Reuters reports.
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Russia has laid 7,000 sq km of minefields along the frontline, says defence minister
Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said Russia had laid 7,000 sq km of minefields along the 2,000km frontline.
Speaking at a meeting with senior defence officials, he also said Russia had increased tank production by 5.6 times since what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
At the same meeting, Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, said Russia’s defence industry has reacted to the conflict in Ukraine faster than that of the west.
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Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been quoted as saying that positive developments on the US sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara, and on Canada’s arms embargo, would help Turkey’s parliament move toward ratifying Sweden’s Nato membership bid.
“Positive developments we expect both on (procuring US) F-16s and Canada’s promises (on lifting its arms embargo) would help our parliament to have a positive approach on Sweden … All of them are linked,” Erdoğan reportedly said on a flight back from Hungary.
Nato members Turkey and Hungary have not ratified the membership bid Sweden made last year.
Erdoğan has a track record of holding out on Sweden’s application to extract concessions from the US, including the sale of F-16s to Ankara.
The Turkish leader has also previously demanded that Sweden tighten up on the extradition of Kurdish asylum seekers living in Sweden.
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AFP has further comments from the UN’s high commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk (see earlier post at 09.26).
“The situation in Ukraine seems to have been added to a litany of continuous suffering, and the world’s attention seems jaded by the multiple crises that we face,” he was quoted as saying.
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Russia summons Finland's ambassador amid concerns over new defence pact with US
Russia has summoned Finland’s ambassador over concerns about a new defence agreement between Helsinki and Washington, the Russian foreign ministry has said.
Russian officials told the ambassador that Moscow would “take the necessary measures to counter the aggressive decisions of Finland and its Nato allies”, notably the growing Nato military presence near its border, ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
The agreement is aimed at allowing swift military access and aid to Finland, which shares a 1,340km border with Russia, in case of conflict, officials have said.
The pact will make “organising peacetime operations easier, but above all it can be vital in a crisis,” Finland’s foreign minister, Elina Valtonen, has said.
Putin warned of “problems” with neighbouring Finland after it joined Nato earlier this year, in an interview with Rossiya state TV on Sunday.
The west “dragged Finland into Nato. Did we have any disputes with them? All disputes, including territorial ones in the mid-20th century, have long been solved,” Putin said.
“There were no problems there, now there will be, because we will create the Leningrad military district and concentrate a certain amount of military units there.”
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Russian air defences downed a hostile drone near Moscow on Tuesday, the city mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, has said. No casualties were reported.
Two Moscow airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, had restricted flights, a measure often taken during drone attacks.
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Zelenskiy to host end-of-year press conference
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will take questions from journalists later today at an end-of-year press conference.
He is due to meet Ukrainian journalists and foreign reporters after 1400 GMT, according to AFP.
The press conference comes as some allies waver on aid and when recent polling suggests the general public are losing trust in Zelenskiy.
Recent polling shows the number of Ukrainians who trust Zelenskiy has dropped to 62%, compared to 84% one year ago, as Kyiv’s forces were celebrating gains in the east and south.
The advances from this year’s counteroffensive were much more modest, with a few villages in the south and east frontlines recaptured after months of fighting against entrenched Russian forces.
But society still overwhelmingly backs the armed forces and their commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
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Vnukovo airport in Moscow said it was temporarily restricting flights for reasons beyond its control, Reuters reports.
This is a measure often taken in recent months when there have been suspected Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian capital.
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Russia will find ways around the latest package of EU sanctions against it, notably on Russian diamonds, the Kremlin has said.
The 12th package focuses on imposing additional import and export bans on Russia, combating sanctions circumvention and closing loopholes, the EU council said yesterday.
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UN: indications that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine
The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, said there had been an “extensive failure” by Russia to protect civilians in Ukraine and that there were indications that Russian forces had committed war crimes there.
“There has been extensive failure by the Russian Federation to take adequate measures to protect civilians and protect civilian objects against the effects of their attacks,” Turk said at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, according to Reuters.
He added that his office’s monitoring indicated “gross violations of international human rights law, serious violations of international humanitarian law, and war crimes, primarily by the forces of the Russian Federation”.
In March, the international criminal court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for overseeing the abduction of Ukrainian children.
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Britain and France will support Ukraine for as long as it takes, says UK's foreign secretary
Britain and France will continue to be “staunch supporters” of Ukraine for as long as it takes, the UK’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, said after a meeting with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, in Paris.
Cameron has urged the west to be patient about the pace of Ukraine military advances.
In Ukraine, concern has grown about global support, with conflict in the Middle East taking attention away from the country, and longer-term questions about western financial backing as the US heads into an election cycle.
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Oleksandr Vilkul, Kryvyi Rih city’s mayor, has wrote on Telegram that Russia shelled the southern city of Nikopol with heavy artillery at night, noting there was no casualties.
Two people were killed, and residential buildings and businesses damaged, in overnight attacks on Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk regions, Gyunduz Mamedov, a former deputy prosecutor general of Ukraine, wrote on X.
Overnight more than 163 towns and villages were struck in the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Donetsk regions, killing 2 people. Residential buildings, high-rise buildings, businesses, and infrastructure facilities were damaged.#StopRussianAggression pic.twitter.com/ZDaXTjxRCV
— Гюндуз Мамедов/Gyunduz Mamedov (@MamedovGyunduz) December 19, 2023
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation, a Russian-led post-Soviet military bloc, plans to hold seven drills next year, Tass cited the CSTO secretary general, Imangali Tasmagambetov, as saying.
The bloc also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
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Opening summary
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
The White House has warned that the US has only enough authorised funding for one more aid package to Ukraine this year before Congress will be required to greenlight new contributions.
Washington has committed more than $43bn in military assistance to ally Ukraine since Moscow launched its deadly full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
But hardline US Republicans in Congress, who complain that the Biden administration is prioritising contributions to Kyiv over addressing domestic problems such as border security, have all but blocked new funding.
“We have … one more aid package here before our replenishment authority dries up,” national security council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday, referring to the congressionally approved system by which the Pentagon replaces its donated weapons and equipment.
In other developments:
Ukraine’s top general issued his strongest criticism to date of Volodymr Zelenskiy’s decision to fire all of Ukraine’s regional military recruitment heads in August in a corruption crackdown, Interfax Ukraine reported. Asked by reporters on the sidelines of an event on Monday about whether the decision affected mobilisation levels, the armed forces’ commander-in-chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, bemoaned the recruitment chiefs’ sacking. “These were professionals, they knew how to do this, and they are gone,” Interfax Ukraine cited him as saying.
Zaluzhnyi also said the situation on the frontline of the war had not reached a stalemate, despite comments published last month in which he described the war as moving towards a new stage of static and attritional fighting. Asked on Monday whether he considered the battlefield situation a stalemate, Zaluzhnyi replied “No”, Ukraine’s RBC media reported.
Zaluzhnyi declined to comment on whether Ukraine plans counteroffensive operations over winter. “This is a war, I can’t say what I plan, what we should do. Otherwise, it will be a show, not a war,” he was quoted as saying.
Finland signed an agreement to enhance military cooperation with the US, saying it saw a long-term threat from Russia, a day after Russia issued a warning over Helsinki’s recent entrance into Nato.
The EU adopted a new package of sanctions on Russia that include an import ban on Russian diamonds, officials said. The package is the 12th packet of sanctions levelled at Moscow since it launched its invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the new sanctions would “truly reduce” Russia’s economic foundation for war. The sanctions are designed to reduce Russia’s access to revenues, metals and technology used to sustain its war effort.
The EU will hold an extraordinary summit on 1 February to discuss its multi-annual budget, including funding for Ukraine, the European Council president, Charles Michel, said. EU leaders agreed last week to open membership talks with Ukraine, but they could not agree on a 50bn euro ($54.6bn) package of financial aid for Kyiv due to opposition from Hungary.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has urged traditionally male professions to employ more women to reduce major labour shortages exacerbated by thousands of soldiers being called up to fight in Ukraine. “Girls represent a huge reserve for Russia. In sectors where they are not yet working, they need to exploit their potential to the fullest,” Putin said.
Russia has placed the renowned detective novelist Grigory Chkhartishvili – known under the pen name Boris Akunin – on its list of individuals identified as terrorists or extremists for his criticism of Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Chkhartishvili, 67, has long been critical of Putin.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, will discuss topics including Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East with the British foreign secretary, David Cameron, on Tuesday, the Élysée Palace said in a statement.
The Moldovan prime minister, Dorin Recean, said Moscow was the country’s biggest security threat, and that an upgraded anti-aircraft defence system was needed to counter threats from Russia. “If the Kremlin decides to attack us, just what are we going to do?” Recean told a TV8 interviewer. “Neutrality will not protect Moldova.”
Polish truckers resumed their blockade of one of the main crossings at the Ukrainian border, a protest leader said, a week after it was temporarily lifted. Polish drivers have been blocking several crossings with Ukraine since 6 November, demanding that the EU reinstate a system whereby Ukrainian companies need permits to operate in the bloc and the same for European truckers to enter Ukraine.
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