http://feed.informer.com/digests/PAZ5XAQQ1J/feeder Russia and Ukraine News Review Respective post owners and feed distributors Tue, 27 Nov 2018 05:28:04 -0500 Feed Informer http://feed.informer.com/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/21/russia-win-ukraine-vladimir-putin-europe Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:a582b667-7250-3af3-701d-741ff3396ba6 Sat, 21 Dec 2024 04:00:12 -0500 <p>Instability is growing, Putin’s hybrid war in Europe is heating up and for fear of escalation we have encouraged global nuclear proliferation</p><p>There are human activities in which both sides can win. War is not one of them. Either Ukraine wins this war or Russia does. Ukraine’s former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba says bluntly that unless the current trajectory is changed, “we will lose this war”.</p><p>To be clear: this is still avoidable. Suppose the roughly four-fifths of Ukrainian territory still controlled by Kyiv gets military commitments from the west strong enough to deter any further Russian advances, secure large-scale investment in economic reconstruction, encourage Ukrainians to return from abroad to rebuild their country, and allow for stable, pro-European politics and reform. In five years, the country joins the EU, and then, under a new US administration, starts the process of entering Nato. Most of Ukraine becomes a sovereign, independent, free country, firmly anchored in the west.</p><p>Timothy Garton Ash is a Guardian columnist</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/21/russia-win-ukraine-vladimir-putin-europe">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia Europe Vladimir Putin World news Timothy Garton Ash Photograph: Pavel Dorogoy/AP https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/21/ukraine-faces-difficult-decisions-over-acute-shortage-of-frontline-troops World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:106b737e-dc42-f2c5-f21f-676655020686 Sat, 21 Dec 2024 02:00:13 -0500 <p>Depleted army is increasingly made up of older men, but Zelenskyy is reluctant to lower mobilisation age from 25</p><p>On a recent icy afternoon in the western Ukrainian city of Kovel, a silver-haired man in military fatigues prepared to board a train. A small boy hugged him at the knees, reluctant to let go. “Come on Dima, say goodbye to grandad,” his mother told him, pulling him away.</p><p>A few minutes later, the train pulled out of the station with the man on board, headed on a long journey to the east of the country, towards the frontlines in the fight against Russia. Daughter and grandson, both in tears, waved from the platform.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/21/ukraine-faces-difficult-decisions-over-acute-shortage-of-frontline-troops">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine World news Russia Shaun Walker in Kyiv Photograph: Dan Bashakov/AP https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/21/ukraine-war-briefing-imf-approves-11bn-loan-to-ukraine Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:6ac37285-d154-2aa2-bb13-a41625e81777 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 21:25:30 -0500 <p>Loan approval by the International Monetary Fund will bolster Ukraine as it faces continued Russian attacks. What we know on day 1,032</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine">See all our Ukraine war coverage </a></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/21/ukraine-war-briefing-imf-approves-11bn-loan-to-ukraine">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia Europe Kate Lamband agencies Photograph: Libkos/Getty Images https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/20/us/russia-syria-military-bases-middle-east-setbacks.html NYT > Russia urn:uuid:f6f5b99a-3c2a-0843-2e14-81826b4501d4 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 16:15:03 -0500 Losing Syrian military bases would hurt the Kremlin’s attempts to project power in the Middle East and Africa. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Syria Russia Defense and Military Forces Military Bases and Installations Middle East Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2022) Terrorism International Relations Neil MacFarquhar https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2024/dec/20/the-week-around-the-world-in-20-pictures Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:2dff8e22-f188-e762-53c8-84c233150bb4 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 14:41:56 -0500 <p>Russian missiles hit Kyiv, the aftermath of the fall of Assad, Cyclone Chido in Mayotte and the Maasai Olympics: the past seven days as captured by the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_twenty_photos_/">world’s leading photojournalists</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2024/dec/20/the-week-around-the-world-in-20-pictures">Continue reading...</a> Photography Art and design Culture World news Israel-Gaza war Israel Gaza Hamas Syria Middle East and north Africa Palestinian territories Ukraine Russia Climate crisis Jim Powell Photograph: AFP/Getty Images https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/libyan-pm-resists-russias-move-to-reinforce-military-bases-in-country Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:fcc17f0b-b68a-ec15-6776-710f743a69d0 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 11:45:29 -0500 <p>Abdul Hamid Dabaiba says country would not be a platform for settling international scores after fall of Assad in Syria</p><p>Russia’s move to reinforce its military base in eastern <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/libya">Libya</a> after the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria is facing resistance from the country’s UN-backed government.</p><p>The prime minister of the Tripoli-based government, Abdul Hamid Dabaiba, said he rejected any attempt to turn Libya into a centre for major-power conflicts, stressing that the country would not be a platform for settling international scores.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/libyan-pm-resists-russias-move-to-reinforce-military-bases-in-country">Continue reading...</a> Libya Middle East and north Africa Russia Syria Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2024/dec/20/russia-strikes-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles-during-rush-hour-video Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:241a5ead-1d23-aa03-a5b3-ebacf3abb8cd Fri, 20 Dec 2024 11:25:30 -0500 <p>Russia has hit Kyiv with eight powerful ballistic missiles, a day after the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, claimed his troops were winning on the battlefield and that his goals to seize more territory in Ukraine were unchanged. </p><p>Several explosions were reported in Kyiv on Friday, December 20, at about 7am local time. One person was killed and at least 12 were injured</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/russia-bombards-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles-vladimir-putin-genocide">Russia bombards Kyiv with eight ballistic missiles</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2024/dec/20/russia-strikes-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles-during-rush-hour-video">Continue reading...</a> Kyiv Ukraine Russia Europe Photograph: AFP/Getty Images https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:dc37c162-988c-e48a-92dc-186c3e6a69e0 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 10:00:26 -0500 <p>Kyiv says that 2,200 Russian soldiers have died in the last 24 hours</p><p>The Russian Defence Ministry said that its forces had taken control of two more settlements in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, <strong>Uspenivka</strong> and <strong>Novopustynka</strong>, Reuters reported, citing Russian state news agency RIA.</p><p>Russia has been moving toward the strategic city of <strong>Pokrovsk</strong>, with its forces getting to within 3km (1.9 miles) of it last week. Uspenivka is about 20km of Pokrovsk and Novopustynka is about 16km away from the city.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin">Continue reading...</a> Russia Europe World news Vladimir Putin Volodymyr Zelenskyy Hayden Vernon Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:f8d62760-79dc-abc5-bbfa-787e341a1d07 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 09:37:22 -0500 <p>Kyiv says that 2,200 Russian soldiers have died in the last 24 hours</p><p>The Russian Defence Ministry said that its forces had taken control of two more settlements in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, <strong>Uspenivka</strong> and <strong>Novopustynka</strong>, Reuters reported, citing Russian state news agency RIA.</p><p>Russia has been moving toward the strategic city of <strong>Pokrovsk</strong>, with its forces getting to within 3km (1.9 miles) of it last week. Uspenivka is about 20km of Pokrovsk and Novopustynka is about 16km away from the city.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin">Continue reading...</a> Russia Europe World news Vladimir Putin Volodymyr Zelenskyy Hayden Vernon Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/russia-bombards-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles-vladimir-putin-genocide World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:2e07c737-6e2c-fac0-81f8-af3d9233938a Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:57:17 -0500 <p>Mayor accuses Moscow of ‘genocide’, saying latest strike shows Putin’s indifference to women and children</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin">Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updates</a></li></ul><p>Russia has hit Kyiv with eight powerful ballistic missiles, a day after Vladimir Putin claimed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/19/putin-claims-ukraine-war-has-made-russia-much-stronger-phone-in">his troops were winning on the battlefield</a> and that his maximalist goals to seize more territory in Ukraine were unchanged.</p><p>Several explosions were reported in Kyiv on Friday around 7am local time. Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down eight Khinzal and Iskander-M missiles, with debris falling in several districts of the city. One person was killed and at least 12 were injured.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/russia-bombards-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles-vladimir-putin-genocide">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia Europe World news Luke Harding and Kostyantyn Andriyuk in Kyiv Photograph: Maxym Marusenko/EPA https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/russia-bombards-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles-vladimir-putin-genocide World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:68c66652-92c8-5048-253c-fb426cd1e9e5 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:57:17 -0500 <p>Mayor accuses Moscow of ‘genocide’, saying latest strike shows Putin’s indifference to women and children</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin">Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updates</a></li></ul><p>Russia has hit Kyiv with eight powerful ballistic missiles, a day after Vladimir Putin claimed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/19/putin-claims-ukraine-war-has-made-russia-much-stronger-phone-in">his troops were winning on the battlefield</a> and that his maximalist goals to seize more territory in Ukraine were unchanged.</p><p>Several explosions were reported in Kyiv on Friday around 7am local time. Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down eight Khinzal and Iskander-M missiles, with debris falling in several districts of the city. One person was killed and at least 12 were injured.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/russia-bombards-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles-vladimir-putin-genocide">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia Europe World news Luke Harding and Kostyantyn Andriyuk in Kyiv Photograph: Maxym Marusenko/EPA https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/russia-bombards-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles-vladimir-putin-genocide World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:e571c5ce-2446-9a76-88fd-e97355097ac5 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:57:17 -0500 <p>Mayor accuses Moscow of genocide, saying latest strike shows Putin’s indifference to women and children</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin">Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updates</a></li></ul><p>Russia has hit Kyiv with eight powerful ballistic missiles, a day after Vladimir Putin claimed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/19/putin-claims-ukraine-war-has-made-russia-much-stronger-phone-in">his troops were winning on the battlefield</a> and that his maximalist goals to seize more territory in Ukraine were unchanged.</p><p>Several explosions were reported in Kyiv on Friday around 7am local time. Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down eight Khinzal and Iskander-M missiles, with debris falling in several districts of the city. One person was killed and at least 12 were injured.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/russia-bombards-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles-vladimir-putin-genocide">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia Europe World news Luke Harding and Kostyantyn Andriyuk in Kyiv Photograph: Maxym Marusenko/EPA https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:ffba1d09-a7b2-4059-8a14-63242ea58c40 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:52:24 -0500 <p>‘It is absolutely unacceptable for attacks to damage diplomatic facilities,’ says Portugal’s foreign minister after strikes on Ukrainian capital</p><p>The Russian Defence Ministry said that its forces had taken control of two more settlements in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, <strong>Uspenivka</strong> and <strong>Novopustynka</strong>, Reuters reported, citing Russian state news agency RIA.</p><p>Russia has been moving toward the strategic city of <strong>Pokrovsk</strong>, with its forces getting to within 3km (1.9 miles) of it last week. Uspenivka is about 20km of Pokrovsk and Novopustynka is about 16km away from the city.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin">Continue reading...</a> Russia Europe World news Vladimir Putin Volodymyr Zelenskyy Hayden Vernon Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:f549d70d-c905-9982-109c-0773567ccb05 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 07:43:19 -0500 <p>One killed in attack that reportedly used Kinzhal and Iskander missiles against the Ukrainian capital</p><p>The Russian Defence Ministry said that its forces had taken control of two more settlements in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, <strong>Uspenivka</strong> and <strong>Novopustynka</strong>, Reuters reported, citing Russian state news agency RIA.</p><p>Russia has been moving toward the strategic city of <strong>Pokrovsk</strong>, with its forces getting to within 3km (1.9 miles) of it last week. Uspenivka is about 20km of Pokrovsk and Novopustynka is about 16km away from the city.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/russia-ukraine-war-live-kyiv-airstrike-ballistic-missile-vladimir-putin">Continue reading...</a> Russia Europe World news Vladimir Putin Volodymyr Zelenskyy Hayden Vernon Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/20/world/europe/ukraine-journalist-viktoria-roshchyna-dead.html NYT > Russia urn:uuid:7eb71c8d-b798-c6ca-cbbb-dca65e49c4de Fri, 20 Dec 2024 04:20:47 -0500 Viktoria Roshchyna died in September in Russian custody. The reporter had been well-known for her stories about life in parts of occupied Ukraine. Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2022) News and News Media Political Prisoners Content Type: Personal Profile Deaths (Fatalities) Roshchyna, Viktoria (1996-2024) Donetsk (Ukraine) Mariupol (Ukraine) Ukraine Russia Maria Varenikova https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/ukraine-war-briefing-russia-accused-of-large-scale-cyber-attack-on-ukrainian-authorities Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:5e1d2348-4d67-0269-9798-9ca1d461cb1d Fri, 20 Dec 2024 01:42:37 -0500 <p>Ukrainian deputy PM says some ministry of justice systems have been taken offline; Putin says he’s ready to meet Trump for peace talks. What we know on day 1,031</p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine">See all our Ukraine war coverage</a></strong></li></ul><p><strong>Russia has been accused of carrying out a mass cyber-attack on Ukraine’s state registries. </strong>Ukrainian deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna said on Facebook late on Thursday: “Today the largest external cyber-attack in recent times occurred with Ukraine’s state registries. As a result of this targeted attack, the work of the unified and state registries, which are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, was temporarily suspended.” Stefanishyna said it was clear the attack was “carried out by the Russians to disrupt the work of the country’s critically important infrastructure” and work was proceeding to restore the systems. Russia did not immediately comment on the claim.</p><p><strong>A Russian missile attack on Kyiv killed at least one person, the head of Kyiv’s military administration said on Friday</strong>, citing preliminary information. The morning attack sparked fires across the city, in addition to damaging an office building, Serhiy Popko said earlier. A series of loud blasts were heard in the Ukraine capital on Friday morning and smoke could be seen rising over part of the city, after authorities warned of a ballistic missile attack.</p><p><strong>Vladimir Putin has said he was ready to meet Donald Trump and discuss peace proposals</strong> as he used a marathon phone-in event to claim that the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/19/putin-claims-ukraine-war-has-made-russia-much-stronger-phone-in">war in Ukraine had made Russia “much stronger”</a>. The Russian president said during the annual event that Moscow was “ready for negotiations and compromises” to end the fighting, but later he pointed to a maximalist position that would involve keeping Crimea and other occupied territories, Ukraine not joining Nato, and the lifting of sanctions by the west. He also denied that the fall of his key ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow’s standing.</p><p><strong>An Uzbek citizen has been charged over the assassination of a senior Russian general and his assistant</strong> in a bombing claimed by Ukraine’s security services, Russian state media said on Thursday. Akhmadzhon Kurbonov was ordered detained by a Moscow court until at least 17 February, Tass state news agency reported, after Tuesday’s bombing that killed Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, the chief of Russia’s chemical weapons unit. Kurbonov is accused of the killings, carrying out a terrorist act and illegally manufacturing explosives, the Russian news agency reported.</p><p><strong>Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday he needed both Europe and the United States on board to secure a durable peace</strong>, as he huddled with EU leaders at their final summit before Donald Trump’s inauguration. “I believe that the European guarantees won’t be sufficient for Ukraine,” he said after talks with his EU counterparts. Talk has increasingly turned to ways Europe could help guarantee any ceasefire, with embryonic discussions over a possible deployment of peacekeepers one day. But there are few specifics and Zelenskyy insisted that any steps to secure peace would have to involve the might of the US. Zelenskyy said he was supportive of an initiative mooted by French president Emmanuel Macron to potentially deploy western troops, but it needed to be fleshed out. “If we are talking about a contingent, we need to be specific – how many, what they will do if there is aggression from Russia,” he said. “The main thing is that this is not some artificial story, we need effective mechanisms.” Kyiv and its European allies fear that Trump’s return means the volatile Republican could cut support for Ukraine’s military and force Zelensky to make painful concessions to Moscow.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/ukraine-war-briefing-russia-accused-of-large-scale-cyber-attack-on-ukrainian-authorities">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia Europe Staff and agencies Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/world/europe/putin-press-conference-syria.html NYT > Russia urn:uuid:5a1f53d9-a831-1245-a773-e43312353f4a Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:49:26 -0500 The Russian president, in a marathon annual news conference, said that he had not yet met with Bashar al-Assad, the ousted Syrian leader who fled to Moscow, but that he planned to. Putin, Vladimir V International Relations Politics and Government War and Armed Conflicts Appointments and Executive Changes Defense and Military Forces United States International Relations Military Bases and Installations Assad, Bashar al- Trump, Donald J Tice, Austin Russia Syria Propaganda Anton Troianovski https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/world/europe/europe-has-a-leadership-vacuum-how-will-it-handle-trump.html NYT > Russia urn:uuid:67f8cc6a-11cd-dde6-284e-fdbcf6b63262 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:02:25 -0500 With Germany and France both in political turmoil, the new administration of Donald J. Trump will begin at a time of instability for the continent. United States International Relations Politics and Government International Relations Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2022) Defense and Military Forces Macron, Emmanuel (1977- ) Trump, Donald J Zelensky, Volodymyr Starmer, Keir Europe Germany United States Ukraine Russia France Italy Scholz, Olaf (1958- ) European Union Mark Landler and Jim Tankersley https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/19/putin-claims-ukraine-war-has-made-russia-much-stronger-phone-in World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:3d234c72-5825-2a31-a83e-3f064384aec3 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 11:45:06 -0500 <p>Russian leader largely upbeat in year-end phone-in, calling Zelenskyy ‘illegitimate’ and suggesting US missile ‘duel’</p><p>Vladimir Putin has said the war in Ukraine has made Russia “much stronger” and denied that the fall of his key ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria has hurt Moscow’s standing, as he held a marathon year-end press conference and television call-in seeking to project confidence at home and abroad.</p><p>Casting the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as “illegitimate”, Putin said he was ready to meet Donald Trump and discuss peace proposals to end his full-scale invasion, but he repeated his hardline stance that Moscow would keep control of Crimea together with the four Ukrainian regions he laid claim to in 2022.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/19/putin-claims-ukraine-war-has-made-russia-much-stronger-phone-in">Continue reading...</a> Russia Vladimir Putin Ukraine Europe World news Pjotr Sauer Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2024/dec/19/vladimir-putin-says-russia-ready-for-missile-duel-with-the-us-video World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:bdf4b540-5e46-82a3-2f4a-449714b71651 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:15:50 -0500 <p>During his annual end-of-year press conference, the Russian president said his Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile could defeat any American missile defence system. Russia first fired Oreshnik at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on 21 November after Ukraine's first use of US ATACMS ballistic missiles and British Storm Shadows into Russian territory</p><p></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia">Russia-Ukraine war live</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2024/dec/19/vladimir-putin-says-russia-ready-for-missile-duel-with-the-us-video">Continue reading...</a> Russia US news Ukraine Vladimir Putin World news Photograph: Getty Images https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:b80367a3-f422-8771-aecf-6c999a5ca1d6 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 09:53:35 -0500 <p>Ukrainian leader responds to Russian president’s claims that countries were on the verge of a deal to end hostilities in April 2022</p><p>Poland summoned the chargé d’affaires of Belarus (a diplomat of a lower rank acting in place of an ambassador), <strong>Alexei Ponkratiev</strong>, on Thursday to protest against what it called “aggressive actions” of the Belarusian KGB spy service towards Polish diplomats accredited in Belarus and other countries.</p><p>The Polish foreign ministry did not specify what actions it was accusing the Belarus agency of having taken, but said the continuation of such provocations would be met with a “symmetrical response from the Polish side”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia World news Europe Volodymyr Zelenskyy France North Korea Yohannes Lowe (now) and Hamish Mackay (earlier) Photograph: Alexey Pavlishak/Reuters https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:8f94dd88-4128-1703-fccb-7c8019193f8d Thu, 19 Dec 2024 09:53:35 -0500 <p>This live blog is now closed, you can <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine">read more of our Ukraine war coverage here</a></p><p>Poland summoned the chargé d’affaires of Belarus (a diplomat of a lower rank acting in place of an ambassador), <strong>Alexei Ponkratiev</strong>, on Thursday to protest against what it called “aggressive actions” of the Belarusian KGB spy service towards Polish diplomats accredited in Belarus and other countries.</p><p>The Polish foreign ministry did not specify what actions it was accusing the Belarus agency of having taken, but said the continuation of such provocations would be met with a “symmetrical response from the Polish side”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia World news Europe Volodymyr Zelenskyy France North Korea Yohannes Lowe (now) and Hamish Mackay (earlier) Photograph: Alexey Pavlishak/Reuters https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:8d5806d7-e8f9-7e63-66bb-5656ac3e9111 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 09:14:34 -0500 <p>Russian leader is making annual end-of-year address and fielding questions from reporters</p><p>Poland summoned the chargé d’affaires of Belarus (a diplomat of a lower rank acting in place of an ambassador), <strong>Alexei Ponkratiev</strong>, on Thursday to protest against what it called “aggressive actions” of the Belarusian KGB spy service towards Polish diplomats accredited in Belarus and other countries.</p><p>The Polish foreign ministry did not specify what actions it was accusing the Belarus agency of having taken, but said the continuation of such provocations would be met with a “symmetrical response from the Polish side”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia">Continue reading...</a> World news Russia Europe Volodymyr Zelenskyy France North Korea Yohannes Lowe (now) and Hamish Mackay (earlier) Photograph: Alexey Pavlishak/Reuters https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/world/europe/putin-press-conference-syria.html NYT > Russia urn:uuid:6555fcef-a804-bf6f-c63e-cbab383b4f25 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 08:29:31 -0500 The Russian president said that he had not yet met with Bashar al-Assad, the ousted Syrian leader who fled to Moscow, but that he planned to. Putin, Vladimir V International Relations Politics and Government War and Armed Conflicts Appointments and Executive Changes Defense and Military Forces United States International Relations Military Bases and Installations Assad, Bashar al- Trump, Donald J Tice, Austin Russia Syria Propaganda Anton Troianovski https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:09fb1bb8-fd84-b032-aa55-f1c21b56bed0 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 08:16:20 -0500 <p>Russian leader, making annual end-of-year address, suggests ‘experiment’ involving his Oreshnik system and US weapons</p><p>Poland summoned the chargé d’affaires of Belarus (a diplomat of a lower rank acting in place of an ambassador), <strong>Alexei Ponkratiev</strong>, on Thursday to protest against what it called “aggressive actions” of the Belarusian KGB spy service towards Polish diplomats accredited in Belarus and other countries.</p><p>The Polish foreign ministry did not specify what actions it was accusing the Belarus agency of having taken, but said the continuation of such provocations would be met with a “symmetrical response from the Polish side”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia">Continue reading...</a> World news Russia Europe Volodymyr Zelenskyy France North Korea Hamish Mackay (now) and Yohannes Lowe (earlier) Photograph: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/19/russia-assassinations-economy-workers-putin Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:640bbdde-b66c-9880-729a-470201903eae Thu, 19 Dec 2024 07:21:55 -0500 <p>A vacuum among his generals is the last thing the president needs. He will be holding his breath for Trump’s inauguration</p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/17/lieutenant-general-igor-kirillov-russian-general-killed-moscow-explosion-chemical-weapons">assassination</a> on Tuesday of the Russian general and <a href="https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/12/17/a-war-criminal-and-a-legitimate-target">conspiracy theorist</a> Igor Kirillov in downtown Moscow is yet another operation in a string of small, morale-boosting actions by Ukraine and its sympathisers. Last month, Valery Trankovsky, a senior naval officer, was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/13/black-sea-fleet-valery-trankovsky-sevastopol-crimea-car-bomb">killed in a car-bombing</a> in Crimea. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y867penn8o">Sergei Yevsyukov</a>, the former chief of the Russian-operated Olenivka prison that Russian forces blew up in 2022, killing many Ukrainian prisoners of war, died in a similar attack this month in Donetsk. All three men had been accused by Ukraine of war crimes.</p><p>These killings are more than acts of retribution; they are part of a calculated effort to signal Ukraine’s resolve in the face of Russian aggression. They serve as a warning to Moscow’s military establishment and offer a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10576100600641972?casa_token=6CiCVXMlkR0AAAAA:uhvUdQGMNlbt3fuIcutS_YWgyKcXjYNdpQj5NoS-6iAgxldRwAu-fUA-8EwQ59xr7qOMum8uoDzb">modicum of justice</a> to a Ukrainian public enraged by the atrocities committed by Russian forces. Yet the effectiveness of such assassinations is less clear. In authoritarian regimes that lack mechanisms for orderly power transitions, the elimination of high-ranking officials can <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2006.00440.x?casa_token=S2PXUO_9ZwEAAAAA%3ASeQ72hIoUT7DucVOJBed8HhZ7wQVdY_M0ypPb_mxLyDO95iYQlNFhsoB872QaMTktipf4XhinOU">destabilise leadership structures</a>. A sudden vacuum at the top risks igniting infighting among elites and undermining the regime’s cohesion.</p><p>Olga Chyzh researches political violence and repressive regimes, she is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/19/russia-assassinations-economy-workers-putin">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia World news Europe Volodymyr Zelenskyy Vladimir Putin Olga Chyzh Photograph: Yuri Kochetkov/EPA https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:b9700739-522e-d6ec-d416-da92b5a365cc Thu, 19 Dec 2024 05:06:08 -0500 <p>John Healey says Britain should ‘make the training a better fit for what the Ukrainians need’</p><p><strong>Vladimir Putin</strong> is speaking at an annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow. Here are some of the notable remarks the Russian president, who has held power for nearly a quarter-century, made during the highly choreographed event:</p><p>Putin said he could not say when his army would regain full control of the western Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in August. “We will absolutely kick them out. Absolutely. It can’t be any other way. But the question of a specific date, I’m sorry, I cannot say right now,” he said.</p><p>Putin said that Russian forces were moving towards achieving their primary goals in the war, with Russian forces advancing along the front.</p><p>Putin said the economy may grow by 4% this year but inflation was a worrying signal. “With the economy as a whole, the situation in Russia is stable, despite external threats,” he said, adding: “Inflation is a worrying signal.” “The thing that is unpleasant and bad is the rise in prices. But I hope that if macroeconomic indicators are maintained, we will be able to cope with it,” Putin said.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia">Continue reading...</a> World news Russia Europe Volodymyr Zelenskyy France North Korea Yohannes Lowe Photograph: Getty Images https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:fb86b93c-8f16-2640-3dc2-05e662eb2be1 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 03:14:30 -0500 <p>Ukrainian leader says presence of forces ‘could contribute to stabilising the path to peace’</p><p>Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of Russia’s war on Ukraine.</p><p><strong>Volodymyr Zelenskyy </strong>said he had held a new discussion with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on the latter’s proposal to deploy troops in Ukraine as a means to help achieve a stable peace.</p><p>At least 100 North Koreans <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/08/ukrainians-ready-for-north-korean-troops-russia-war">deployed to support Russia’s war effort</a><strong> </strong>in<strong> </strong>Ukraine have been killed since entering combat in December, South Korean lawmaker <strong>Lee Seong-kweun </strong>told reporters on Thursday<strong>.</strong> Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce the Russian military, including to the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces seized territory earlier this year. “In December, they [North Korean troops] engaged in actual combat, during which at least 100 fatalities occurred,” Lee said, speaking after a briefing by South Korea’s spy agency. “The National Intelligence Service also reported that the number of injured is expected to reach nearly 1,000.” Despite those losses, the agency also said it had detected signs North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was preparing to train a new special operations force to ship westward.</p><p>Ukraine struck Russian territory with at least 13 missiles and 84 drones, triggering a fire at the <strong>Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery</strong> in the southern <strong>Rostov region</strong> that burned for hours, Russian officials said on Thursday. Russian air defences shot down 84 drones over Russian regions, including 36 over Rostov region, according to the defence ministry.</p><p>A Russian missile attack damaged residential buildings and infrastructure in Ukraine’s <strong>Sumy</strong> and <strong>Dnipropetrovsk</strong> regions, the Ukrainian military said this morning. There were no immediate reports of causalities. Russia used two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and a Kh-59/69 guided missile in its attack, the air force said. The attack damaged infrastructure, two apartment buildings, a hospital, and a school in Dnipropetrovsk region, its governor Serhiy Lysak said. A missile attack on the northeastern Sumy region damaged nine private residences, regional authorities said.</p><p>Britain has unveiled £225m (US$286m) in new military aid to Ukraine for next year including drones, boats and air defence systems.</p><p>The World Bank has approved $2.05bn in funding for Ukraine that includes the first grant from a $20bn US loan fund for Kyiv that is backed by income from frozen Russian sovereign assets.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/19/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-french-troop-plan-macron-russia">Continue reading...</a> World news Russia Europe Volodymyr Zelenskyy France North Korea Yohannes Lowe Photograph: Nicolas Tucat/EPA https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/world/europe/russia-kirillov-ukraine-general.html NYT > Russia urn:uuid:7a9e6043-09a4-cb36-23a7-230ae618f0a1 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 21:21:34 -0500 Ukraine’s forces are steadily losing ground on the battlefield. The assassination of a top general in Moscow won’t improve their war effort, analysts and Western officials say. United States International Relations Foreign Aid Politics and Government Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2022) Defense and Military Forces Espionage and Intelligence Services Assassinations and Attempted Assassinations Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) (Ukraine) Ukrainian State Security Service Kondratiuk, Valeriy Putin, Vladimir V Syrsky, Oleksandr Moscow (Russia) Russia Ukraine Michael Schwirtz https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/19/ukraine-war-briefing-zelenskyy-says-he-discussed-french-troop-idea-with-macron World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:e0e1a4eb-4d2e-5c51-33a2-b62d18093416 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:42:09 -0500 <p>Ukraine president said work continued on proposal to put European forces on the ground; Nato chief Mark Rutte warns European leaders not to pre-empt peace process. What we know on day 1,030</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine">See all our Ukraine war coverage</a></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/19/ukraine-war-briefing-zelenskyy-says-he-discussed-french-troop-idea-with-macron">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia Europe World news Warren Murray and agencies Photograph: Nicolas Tucat/Reuters https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/19/australia-to-reopen-embassy-in-ukraine-as-its-total-support-for-country-surpasses-15bn World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:a48bd185-dd81-48c2-fe85-cad143ee2627 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:16:51 -0500 <p>Foreign minister Penny Wong says ambassador to Ukraine to return to Kyiv in January, and said Russia war impacts security of Indo-Pacific</p><ul><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>Australia’s support for Ukraine will surpass $1.5bn as it offers more aid and reveals an embassy will reopen in the war-torn country for the first time since 2022.</p><p>The ambassador to Ukraine, Paul Lehmann, and the deputy head of mission will return to Kyiv in January, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said from the nation’s capital on Thursday.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/19/australia-to-reopen-embassy-in-ukraine-as-its-total-support-for-country-surpasses-15bn">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Penny Wong Australia news Europe Australian Associated Press Photograph: Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/18/the-guardian-view-on-north-koreans-dying-for-russia-an-alarming-alliance-gains-strength World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:1824b06f-c295-8ad2-c1e9-fc4f642c72b7 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 13:24:40 -0500 <p>For Pyongyang, dead soldiers are a price worth paying for the rewards of friendship with Moscow </p><p>A few years ago, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/08/ukrainians-ready-for-north-korean-troops-russia-war">it would have sounded fantastical</a> to suggest that massed North Korean soldiers would fight on a European battlefield – as a Ukrainian commander noted last month. Yet about 10,000 are now thought to be fighting for Moscow, and on Tuesday a US official reported that “several hundred” <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/17/several-hundred-north-korean-troops-killed-fighting-ukraine-says-us-official">had died</a> in Russia’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/20/revealed-russia-anticipated-kursk-incursion-months-in-advance-seized-papers-show">Kursk region</a>.</p><p>North Korea has one of the largest armies in the world, with more than 1.25 million personnel in a country of just 26 million. Despite its extraordinary nuclear and missile achievements, much of its vast stockpile of weaponry is thought to be out of date – though that hasn’t stopped it shipping <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/17/world/asia/north-korea-russia-military-deal.html">as much as $5.5bn worth</a> of arms and ammunition to Russia. The military has not engaged in large-scale combat since the end of the Korean war in 1953. At home, soldiers spend significant time trying to acquire food or basic supplies, including fuel.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/18/the-guardian-view-on-north-koreans-dying-for-russia-an-alarming-alliance-gains-strength">Continue reading...</a> North Korea Ukraine Kim Jong-un Russia Asia Pacific Nato South Korea Vladimir Putin World news Europe Editorial Photograph: Vladimir Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/world/europe/russia-general-killing-suspect-uzbekistan.html NYT > Russia urn:uuid:b7d05006-e6ca-8726-cd03-47b47496e6bb Wed, 18 Dec 2024 12:49:16 -0500 The Russian prosecutor’s office said the suspect, a 29-year-old citizen of Uzbekistan, confessed to planting the bomb on the orders of Ukrainian agents. Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2022) Moscow (Russia) Russia Anatoly Kurmanaev https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/18/dmitry-medvedev-says-editors-of-the-times-are-legitimate-military-targets Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:0b5baa85-201a-aa5a-9e93-25ab6145b816 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 12:23:50 -0500 <p>Former Russian president’s Telegram post follows paper’s editorial about assassination of a Russian general</p><p>The Russian security council deputy head, Dmitry Medvedev, has described the editors of the Times newspaper in Britain as “legitimate military targets” in response to the newspaper’s coverage of the assassination of a Russian general.</p><p>Medvedev’s vitriolic comments on Wednesday followed a Times editorial in which the newspaper described the assassination of Lt Gen Igor Kirillov as “a legitimate act of defence” by Ukraine, which has claimed responsibility for the killing.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/18/dmitry-medvedev-says-editors-of-the-times-are-legitimate-military-targets">Continue reading...</a> Dmitry Medvedev Russia UK news World news The Times Pjotr Sauer Photograph: Yekaterina Shtukina/AP https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/opinion/speech-surveillance.html NYT > Russia urn:uuid:ba541387-ede2-da14-238a-1dcddc6949e8 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 11:25:58 -0500 It’s easier for governments to restrict freedom of expression than it is to fix material conditions. Freedom of Speech and Expression Birth Rates Russia Putin, Vladimir V Surveillance of Citizens by Government Zuckerberg, Mark E Politics and Government Meta Platforms Inc Parenting Censorship Jessica Grose https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/18/suspect-in-killing-of-russian-general-detained-in-moscow-authorities-say World news: Ukraine | theguardian.com urn:uuid:da8364be-b555-f118-2e6d-b2f618d393d0 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 11:16:28 -0500 <p>Investigators say they arrested Uzbek citizen suspected of involvement in explosion that killed Lt Gen Igor Kirillov</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/18/russia-ukraine-war-igor-kirillov-putin-zelenskyy-latest-news">Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updates</a></li></ul><p>Russia has detained an Uzbek citizen who investigators believe placed the bomb <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/17/lieutenant-general-igor-kirillov-russian-general-killed-moscow-explosion-chemical-weapons">that killed Lt Gen Igor Kirillov</a> on the instructions of Ukraine’s security service, the country’s investigative committee has said.</p><p>The 29-year-old had allegedly been recruited by Ukrainian special services and promised $100,000 and travel to the European Union, the news agency Tass reported, citing the country’s domestic spy agency, the FSB.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/18/suspect-in-killing-of-russian-general-detained-in-moscow-authorities-say">Continue reading...</a> Russia Ukraine Europe Pjotr Sauer and agencies Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/18/russia-ukraine-war-igor-kirillov-putin-zelenskyy-latest-news Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:f3a35117-c1d7-eacf-606f-70a3433de683 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 10:00:05 -0500 <p>The 29-year-old had been recruited by Ukrainian special services, Moscow says</p><p><strong>Russian chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov said on Wednesday that arms control was now a thing of the past due to the lack of trust between Russia and the West.</strong></p><p>Gerasimov said Russia had seen increased activity by the US-led Nato military alliance near Russia’s borders.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/18/russia-ukraine-war-igor-kirillov-putin-zelenskyy-latest-news">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia Europe World news Tom Ambrose (now) and Vicky Graham (earlier) Photograph: Yuri Kochetkov/EPA https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/18/russia-ukraine-war-igor-kirillov-putin-zelenskyy-latest-news Russia | The Guardian urn:uuid:fde82571-aa02-db91-124a-9c99fa5d39ce Wed, 18 Dec 2024 09:40:42 -0500 <p>The 29-year-old had been recruited by Ukrainian special services, Moscow says</p><p><strong>Russian chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov said on Wednesday that arms control was now a thing of the past due to the lack of trust between Russia and the West.</strong></p><p>Gerasimov said Russia had seen increased activity by the US-led Nato military alliance near Russia’s borders.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/18/russia-ukraine-war-igor-kirillov-putin-zelenskyy-latest-news">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine Russia Europe World news Tom Ambrose (now) and Vicky Graham (earlier) Photograph: Yuri Kochetkov/EPA