NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to “wipe out Ukraine” and could come after other parts of Europe. Rutte told the Carnegie Europe thinktank in Brussels that it was time to shift “to a war mentality” and brace people for the prospect that Russia would “use drones” in Europe, as it has to devastating effect in Ukraine. The Dutch prime minister was giving his inauguration speech just two months after taking up the official role of a NATO civilian.
US President Joe Biden announced another package of military aid to Ukraine on Thursday, valued at $500m, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement. White House spokesman John Kirby said that the US would provide additional packages to Ukraine “until the end of this administration.” Washington said 10 days ago to send Ukraine $725m worth missiles, weapons, mines and other weapons. Biden is on the way out of the administration seeks to strengthen Ukraine armed invasion of Russia, before Biden’s term ends in January, when President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
In a wide-ranging interview with Time magazine, US President-elect Donald Trump offered his thoughts on global affairs, including the war in Ukraine. The president-elect previously mocked US aid to Kyiv. Pressed on whether to abandon Ukraine in its attempt to fend off Russian aggression, Trump said he would use Kyiv’s support as pressure against Moscow in negotiating an end to the war. “I want an agreement,” he said, “and there is no other way than to leave the agreement.”
Ukraine’s top military commander says fighting around the key eastern Ukrainian city is “very intense” after months long Russian push. Analysts estimate that Russian forces are now within a few kilometers or miles of Pokrovsk. Ukraine’s ambassador-general said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had been targeted by nearly 40 Russian airstrikes over the previous 24 hours around Pokrovsk. Ukrainian defenses stretched across Donetsk have cracked since the start of this year under a fierce Russian drive. Pokrovsk is Ukraine’s main defensive stronghold and a key logistics center in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff said in an interview broadcast late Thursday that Kyiv was not yet ready to start talks with Russia to get rid of the weapons; security measures and international status demanded it. Andriy Yermak’s comments to public radio Suspilne came as Zelenskyy publicly considers the possibility of peace negotiations to war with Russia, led by Moscow’s full invasion next February 2022, “Not just yet today,” Yermak Suspilne said, when asked if Ukraine was ready to enter talks “We don’t have weapons, we don’t have a state that we’re talking about.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Ukraine should play an active role in any potential negotiations on the Russian war in the country, after Thursday’s meeting in Warsaw.. Macron also stated that Europeans are involved in security talks in “close” coordination with the United States of America so that European interests are taken into account. The meeting comes after Macron held a key meeting with Trump and Zelenskyy on Saturday in Paris.
Billions of Russian public funds are frozen in the European Union to use the help of Ukrainehe said in a European passport. Kaja Kalla EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policyhe told the Guardian and four other European newspapers that Ukraine had a legitimate right to compensation and held Russian assets in the EU as “an instrument of Russian coercion”. “It is better to have a little bird in your hand than a big bird on the roof,” he said. “So we have birds on our hands [the frozen assets] and that instrument also of pressure Russia. His proposal comes amid growing questions about how to fund Ukraine in the mid-term and pay for the colossal reconstruction bill.