Ukraine battle briefing: Strengthen Kyiv’s hand earlier than peace talks, says Nato chief

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Ukraine battle briefing: Strengthen Kyiv’s hand earlier than peace talks, says Nato chief

  • Ukraine just isn’t in a robust sufficient place for peace talks with Russia, Nato chief, Mark Rutte, mentioned on Monday. “At this second, clearly Ukraine just isn’t there, as a result of they can’t at this second negotiate from a place of power,” Rutte informed EU lawmakers. “We’ve to do extra to verify by altering the trajectory of the battle that they’ll get to that place of power.”

  • Donald Trump might be sworn into workplace as US president subsequent Monday after vowing on the marketing campaign path to carry a swift finish to Vladimir Putin’s battle in Ukraine. Rutte mentioned: “All of us need this battle to finish, however above all, we would like peace to final. Peace is not going to final if Putin will get his approach in Ukraine, as a result of then he’ll press forward … I’m satisfied that peace can solely final if Ukraine involves the desk from a place of power.”

  • The US and its allies “can’t stroll away” from Ukraine, the outgoing US president, Joe Biden, mentioned on Monday as he prepares to step down subsequent week and hand energy to Donald Trump. Biden on Monday marvelled that initially of the battle Putin thought Russian forces would simply defeat Ukraine in a matter of days. It was an evaluation US and European intelligence officers shared.
    As an alternative, Biden mentioned, his administration and its allies have “laid the muse” for the Trump administration to assist Ukraine ultimately arrive at a second the place it could negotiate a simply finish to the almost three 12 months previous battle.

  • “In the present day, Ukraine remains to be a free and unbiased nation with the potential for a shiny future,” Biden mentioned. Hailing US and worldwide assist for Kyiv since Moscow’s 2022 invasion, Biden mentioned that the Russian ruler, Vladimir Putin, has “failed to attain any of his strategic aims” however that “there’s extra to do, we will’t stroll away”.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy countered that the Slovak prime minister, Robert Fico, can “come to Kyiv on Friday” after the latter on Monday invited Ukraine’s president to Slovakia. Fico was calling for negotiations “as quickly as potential” after Ukraine determined to chop off low cost Russian gasoline that flows by means of each their nations to western Europe. It comes after Fico’s journey to Moscow earlier than Christmas to satisfy Vladimir Putin angered EU nations and protests at dwelling towards Fico’s authorities. 1000’s of Slovaks took to the streets on Friday to protest towards Fico’s journey and his pleasant ties with the Kremlin at a rally known as “Slovakia is Europe”.

  • The Kremlin accused Kyiv of “power terrorism” over what Moscow claimed was an tried assault on infrastructure for the TurkStream gasoline pipeline that carries Russian gasoline to Europe by way of Turkey, Russian information companies reported. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned the drone strike was a “continuation of the road of power terrorism that Kyiv has been pursuing, underneath the curation of its abroad buddies, for a very long time”, state information companies reported.

  • A Ukrainian official mentioned Russian forces have been bypassing the logistics hub of Pokrovsk in jap Ukraine that they’ve fought for months to seize and focusing as an alternative on reducing provide strains to it. Maj Viktor Trehubov, a Ukrainian military spokesperson, informed the Related Press on Monday that Russian troops have been going round Pokrovsk the place Ukrainian defence has stored them at bay. He mentioned the Russians have been taking goal at a freeway that leads from there to the central Ukraine metropolis of Dnipro. That route is essential for provides feeding Ukrainian forces in the complete area. Chopping the freeway visitors would additionally severely weaken Pokrovsk.

  • Italy will signal an settlement with Ukraine and Unesco to rebuild town of Odesa and its cathedral which was badly broken by a Russian assault, mentioned Antonio Tajani, the Italian overseas minister. Ukraine mentioned the Orthodox cathedral was broken when it was hit throughout a Russian missile assault on the nation’s southern port metropolis in July final 12 months. Russia denied duty. “Because the G7 presidency, we proceed to work for a simply peace,” Tajani informed lawmakers, including that supporting Ukraine’s power system was additionally a precedence for Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations till the tip of this 12 months.


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