Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that there is still time for the United States to convince “sceptics” in Europe that Ukraine should be invited to join Nato.
Reasserting his remarks to Sky News, the Ukrainian president said on Sunday that any invitation to join Nato must apply to all of Ukraine’s territory, but that he accepted its defence “umbrella” could not apply to parts of Ukraine so long as they remain occupied by Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Describing Mr Zelensky’s remarks as “actually quite a major concession”, the UK’s former ambassador to Russia, Sir Tony Brenton, warned on Saturday that Nato membership for Ukraine is “frankly going to be very, very difficult”.
But leading Russia expert Dr Mark Galeotti told The Independent that Mr Zelensky’s comments could be an attempt to “call the West’s bluff”, adding: “In effect he is asking, ‘If not the Article 5 security guarantee [which obliges the alliance to defend members under attack], what else could be offered?’”
Kyiv said Russia suffered another heavy 1,730 casualties on Saturday as Moscow continues its intense push for territory in Ukraine’s east.
Key Points
- Ukraine and Russia exchange drone fire as four killed in Dnipro strike
- Vladimir Putin signs off on record military spending in 2025
- Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine could temporarily cede territory to Russia
- Zelensky ‘calling Nato’s bluff’ with latest proposals, expert suggests
German foreign minister slams China for providing weapons to Russia
04:10
Arpan Rai
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has accused China of providing Russia with weapons for its war against Ukraine and threatening peace in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
“Instead of taking responsibility for peace and security in the world as a permanent member of the UN security council, China is opposing our core European interests with its economic and weapons aid to Russia,” Ms Baerbock said in a statement ahead of a visit to Beijing.
The German foreign minister will travel to China next week, where she will meet with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss issues including the war in Ukraine. “Putin’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine is a direct threat to our peace,” Ms Baerbock said. “I will also speak in Beijing about the fact that we cannot simply ignore this in our relations with China.”
She noted that the war in Ukraine shows how security in Europe is inextricably linked with that in Asia.
“If North Korea sends soldiers and weapons against Ukraine, while Russia supports Pyongyang’s nuclear programme, then this jeopardises peace both here and in the Indo-Pacific,” Ms Baerbock said.
Why is Russia targeting Ukraine’s energy grid with missile attacks?
04:00
Andy Gregory
Russia has unleashed another “massive” attack against Ukraine‘s energy infrastructure, firing nearly 200 missiles and drones and leaving more than a million households without power, Ukrainian officials said.
Explosions were heard across the country as damage to the energy and other critical infrastructure was reported by officials in cities in the west, south and centre of the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used cruise missiles with cluster munitions in Thursday’s attack, calling it a “vile escalation”.
In this article, The Independent takes a look at why Russia is launching so many strikes and the likely impact of them on Ukraine.
Read our analysis here:
Russia says its forces capture two settlements in Ukraine's east
03:44
Arpan Rai
The Russian defence ministry said its forces had gained control over two settlements, Illinka and Petrivka, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
It also said that Russian air defences shot down 55 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours.
Russian forces hold a little less than 20 per cent of Ukraine’s territory and have advanced through Donetsk region over the past two months at their fastest rate since March 2022, according to open source data.
They are approaching Kurakhove and the town of Pokrovsk to the north, the site of the sole colliery that supplies Ukraine’s steel industry with coking coal.
Zelensky’s latest plan is a ‘major concession’ to Putin, says former UK ambassador
03:39
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky’s suggestion that Ukraine could temporarily cede territory to Russia in exchange for joining Nato would mark a “major concession” to Vladimir Putin, the UK’s former ambassador to Russia has said.
In a significant development on the route to a potential ceasefire after 33 months of conflict, the Ukrainian president indicated for the first time that Kyiv could accept Russian control over some of its territory in order to end the “hot phase of the war”.
With Moscow appearing to ramp up its push for territory in Ukraine’s east ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, Mr Zelensky told Sky News that peace could be struck if territory he controls is taken “under the Nato umbrella”, allowing him to negotiate the return of the rest later “in a diplomatic way”.
US will not return nuclear weapons to Ukraine, says White House
03:00
Arpan Rai
The US is not considering returning to Ukraine the nuclear weapons it gave up after the Soviet Union collapsed, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said yesterday.
Mr Sullivan made his remarks when questioned about a New York Times article last month that said some unidentified Western officials had suggested president Joe Biden could give Ukraine the arms before he leaves office.
“That is not under consideration, no. What we are doing is surging various conventional capacities to Ukraine so that they can effectively defend themselves and take the fight to the Russians, not (giving them) nuclear capability,” he told ABC.
Last week, Russia said the idea was “absolute insanity” and that preventing such a scenario was one of the reasons why Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.
Kyiv inherited nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union after its 1991 collapse but gave them up under a 1994 agreement, the Budapest Memorandum, in return for security assurances from Russia, the United States and Britain.
MI6 chief warns Russia must not succeed in turning Ukraine into ‘vassal state'
03:00
Andy Gregory
The head of MI6 has accused Russia of waging a “staggeringly reckless campaign” of sabotage in Europe to undermine support against Vladimir Putin’s push to turn Ukraine into a “vassel state”.
“In 37 years in the intelligence profession I’ve never seen the world in a more dangerous state. And the impact on Europe, our shared European home, could hardly be more serious,” Sir Richard Moore said, adding that if “Putin is allowed to succeed in reducing Ukraine to a vassal state he will not stop there.”
Read more details in this report:
Russian drone attack kills one in Ternopil, says Ukraine
02:50
Arpan Rai
Russia’s drone attack on Ukraine’s western city of Ternopil hit a residential building, killing one person and injuring several others, Ternopil’s military administration said this morning.
“A residential building was damaged,” Viacheslav Negoda, the head of the military administration of Ternopil region, said. “Unfortunately, there are casualties: one person has died, there are seriously wounded.”
Serhiy Nadal, the head of the regional defence headquarters in Ternopil, said via Telegram that as result of the attack, a fire engulfed several flats on the top floor of a five-storey apartment building.
He said that residents from several apartments were evacuated and that emergency services were working at the scene. Social media videos showed flames bursting out of the windows of a multi-storey apartment building in the darkness.
The city of Ternopil and its surrounding region were under air raid alerts for a couple of hours starting soon after midnight today, according to data provided by Ukraine’s air force.
Britain needs a more integrated defence industry, minister warns
02:00
Andy Gregory
British defence secretary John Healey has warned that the UK’s defence industry needs to be more integrated in order to strengthen the country’s security and economy.
Unveiling plans for the first British defence industrial strategy since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr Healey said: “Our defence sector should be an engine for jobs and growth, strengthening our security and economy.
“That requires a defence industry that is better and more integrated – one that can keep our armed forces equipped, innovating at a wartime pace, and ahead of our adversaries.
“We will develop this new defence industrial strategy with industry, with innovators and with workers. We will mobilise the private sector to help face down global threats, direct more public investment to British businesses and create jobs and growth in every nation and region of the UK.
“National security is the foundation for national stability and growth. We are sending a signal to the market and to our adversaries: with a strong UK defence sector we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
UK to unveil first military industrial strategy since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
01:00
Andy Gregory
British defence firms will be prioritised for UK government money under a new strategy due to be announced on Monday.
Defence secretary John Healey will launch the defence industrial strategy and pledge to increase jobs in the sector across the UK, with investors and unions among those set to be invited to offer views on the sector.
Officials are also exploring how to make the defence supply chain more resilient, with the industry due to take part in a “war game” exercise which will test how firms and the Ministry of Defence could maintain supplies to the front line if they were faced with fighting and supply chain disruption.
This will be the first defence industrial strategy since Russia invaded Ukraine, with the last version published in 2021, and it is expected to be published in the first half of 2025, with consultation open until the end of February.
Ukraine ‘entering potentially decisive phase’ in Russia’s war, says ex-Nato ambassador
Sunday 1 December 2024 23:59
Andy Gregory
Ukraine is entering a “potentially decisive phase” in Russia’s war which will be crucial for Britain’s future security and prosperity, the UK’s former representative to Nato has said.
Speaking to Sky News in the wake of Volodymyr Zelensky’s interview discussing how to end the “hot phase” of the war, Sir Adam Thomson said: “This is a very significant statement by President Zelensky.
“With a new US administration coming in, we’re entering a potentially decisive phase in the Ukraine war that’s going to be crucial for the UK’s security and prosperity for years to come.
“Zelensky is addressing his own domestic audience, and is preparing them for compromises, but above all in this interview he is making opening moves in what’s likely to be an extended negotiation with the incoming Trump administration about what line Washington is going to take with the Kremlin.
“He’s moving Ukraine to a much more realistic position. Still not necessarily an achievable one, but more realistic.
“About three quarters of Nato allies, I would say, privately think that if it could be done Nato membership would be the least bad outcome in the sense of being the least expensive and the most stable outcome. But it couldn’t be done without the US president being wholly behind it and persuading two thirds of the US senate and quite a number of doubting allies.”
Desertion threatens to starve Ukraine's forces at a crucial time in its war with Russia
Sunday 1 December 2024 23:11
Andy Gregory
Desertion is starving the Ukrainian army of desperately needed manpower and crippling its battle plans at a crucial time in its war with Russia, which could put Kyiv at a clear disadvantage in future ceasefire talks.
Facing every imaginable shortage, tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops, tired and bereft, have walked away from combat and front-line positions to slide into anonymity, according to soldiers, lawyers and Ukrainian officials. Entire units have abandoned their posts, leaving defensive lines vulnerable and accelerating territorial losses, according to military commanders and soldiers.
Some take medical leave and never return, haunted by the traumas of war and demoralized by bleak prospects for victory. Others clash with commanders and refuse to carry out orders, sometimes in the middle of firefights.
Russia has raised threat of nuclear weapons 200 times, former UK diplomat says
Sunday 1 December 2024 22:21
Andy Gregory
Russia has raised the threat of using nuclear weapons more than 200 times since invading Ukraine, the UK’s former representative to Nato has said.
Sir Adam Thomson told Sky News: “If Ukraine were actually inside Nato it would have the US nuclear guarantee. And this has been a very nuclear conflict.
“Over 200 times Moscow has threatened its nuclear capability as a way of deterring Western countries from helping Ukraine, and it’s perfectly logical therefore that the best way of stabilising this is giving Ukraine the Nato nuclear guarantee.”
He added: “The whole Russian behaviour and use of nuclear threat is extraordinarily dangerous because Putin is actually bluffing until he isn’t, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell when that moment comes.
“But clearly at present Russia is not in a desperate situation where it would contemplate the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine and its bluff in that sense has been called by its use of British and American missiles deeper into Russian territory.”
Full report: Poland's prime minister visits defensive fortifications on border with Russia
Sunday 1 December 2024 21:43
Andy Gregory
Poland’s premier Donald Tusk has travelled to his country’s border with the Russian region of Kaliningrad to inspect progress in the construction of military fortifications along the eastern frontier, calling it “an investment in peace.”
Vanessa Gera and Rafal Niedzielski have more details in this report:
Putin wants ‘control not territory’, says analyst
Sunday 1 December 2024 21:01
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky’s suggestion that Ukraine could temporarily cede territory to Russia in return for Nato assurances are “quite smart” but it is unlikely that Vladimir Putin would accept such an arrangement, an expert has suggested.
Asked about the Ukrainian president’s recent remarks on ending the “hot phase” of Russia’s war, James Nixey, of the Chatham House think-tank, told The Independent in emailed remarks: “It’s quite smart.
“Because territory can be regained – even militarily if need be (and the Ukrainians could switch to ‘deniable’ subversive warfare). Or it could be re-acquired under a post-Putin regime. It’s hard to see Ukraine ever giving up on it forever.
“However, it’s even harder to see Putin going for it,” said Mr Nixey, adding: “Putin wants control, not territory. That’s why he hasn’t invaded Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan etc. He controls them ‘enough’ and they have not been so wayward.
“So Ukraine – any part of it – in Nato as part of a deal would be unacceptable.”
Former British diplomat gives verdict on whether ceding territory would hand Putin a form of victory
Sunday 1 December 2024 20:16
Andy Gregory
Asked whether Ukraine ceding territory in a peace deal would hand a form of victory to Vladimir Putin, the UK’s former representative to Nato Sir Adam Thomson told Sky News: “The outcome that Zelensky is suggesting is agreement to disagree over who owns a chunk of Ukraine currently owned by Russia.
“Russia would claim it as its own. Zelensky is making the crucial point that this would not be internationally legally recognised – it would just be a de facto control that could change at some future stage through diplomacy.
“Putin would have seized some territory, he would have done it at extraordinary cost – billions and billions of dollars, two new Nato members already, a thousand or more Russian soldiers being killed or wounded every day at the moment.
“It’s in that sense a compromise. He’s got some territory under his control, it’s not recognised, and it’s an outcome that means he’s lost the rest of Ukraine and alienated Europe for a generation.”
Watch: Protester shoots fireworks at police during pro-EU protests in Georgia
Sunday 1 December 2024 19:33
Andy Gregory
No reason to think Russian offensive will run out of steam any time soon, says analyst
Sunday 1 December 2024 18:52
Andy Gregory
There is no reason to think Russia is going to run out of steam any time soon in its attacks on Ukraine, an analyst has warned.
Warning that a ceasefire in the conflict is “a terrible idea” which would hand Vladimir Putin time to regroup for another attack, Keir Giles of the Chatham House think-tank told The Independent that Russia’s heavy assaults in Ukraine’s east are “probably” sustainable, at least in the short term.
“Especially if there is not a Western response which dissuades Russia from expanding that North Korean group into something which is militarily significant and actually brings increased pressure to bear on the Ukrainians,” said Mr Giles, author of the recently published book Who Will Defend Europe?
“And especially if they can keep up their campaign of pressure both militarily and against Ukraine functioning as a state through these attacks on critical infrastructure.
“There’s no reason to think Russia is going to run out of steam any time soon. Eventually of course, they’ll find it is not sustainable. But that’s in the medium-term, and we have to survive the short-term in the meantime.”
Putin would not accept any part of Ukraine being in Nato, analyst suggests
Sunday 1 December 2024 18:22
Andy Gregory
James Nixey of the Chatham House think-tank has warned that any part of Ukraine being in Nato would be unacceptable to Vladimir Putin, after Volodymyr Zelensky said he could accept territory being temporarily ceded to Russia in exchange for security assurances from the alliance.
“After all, [Nato] is, for him, an abhorrence. Putin doesn’t want a pause anyway – he believes he’s on the brink of an historic and strategic victory, kindly deal-sealed by Donald Trump,” Mr Nixey told The Independent.
UK-based spy ring passed secrets to Russia for nearly three years, court told
Sunday 1 December 2024 17:53
Andy Gregory
A “sophisticated” UK-based spy ring passed secrets to Russia for nearly three years, a court has heard.
Bulgarian nationals Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, allegedly carried out surveillance on individuals and places of interest to Russia.
The spying activities allegedly included locations in London, Vienna, Valencia, Montenegro and Stuttgart, jurors have heard.
Read the full report from our crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin below:
Georgian PM brushes off US criticism of excessive force against pro-EU protesters
Sunday 1 December 2024 17:25
Andy Gregory
Facing condemnation from the United States and defiance from his own president, Georgia’s new prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze has praised police for cracking down on protesters who he sought to claim were acting on foreign orders to undermine the state.
Georgia has been plunged into crisis since his governing Georgian Dream party said on Thursday it was halting European Union accession talks for the next four years, following an election contested by the country’s pro-Western president, who alleges interference by Russia.
Large-scale anti-government protests have taken place in the capital Tbilisi for the past three nights, with police have fired water cannon and tear gas into the crowds, resulting in scores of injuries. More protests are planned in Tbilisi for Sunday night, with demonstrations reported throughout the country.
Brushing off Washington’s suspension of a new strategic partnership with Georgia, Mr Kobakhidze said this was merely a “temporary event”, and that Georgia would talk to the new administration when Donald Trump takes office in January.
Responding to condemnation of “excessive force” being used against protesters, he said: “Despite the heaviest systematic violence applied yesterday by the violent groups and their foreign instructors, the police acted at a higher standard than the American and European ones and successfully protected the state from another attempt to violate the constitutional order.
EU and Nato would need to be present in any future Ukraine-Russia negotiations, says Zelensky
Sunday 1 December 2024 16:56
Andy Gregory
Any future ceasefire negotiations with Russia would need to include representatives from the EU and Nato, because Ukraine views its future security as being within both alliances, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
However, in remarks at a press conference with European Council president Antonio Costa, the Ukrainian president said he failed to see what any such negotiations would focus on, adding that Ukraine would “never legally recognise any occupation of our lands by the Russian Federation”.
Zelensky claims most Nato members see ‘no risks’ to Ukrainian membership
Sunday 1 December 2024 16:29
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that most Nato members see “no risks” to Ukrainian membership of the military alliance.
Urging Joe Biden’s outgoing administration in Washington to use its remaining two months in office to exert influence “over those few European sceptics about our future”, the Ukrainian president told reporters on Sunday: “I personally see no risks.
“And most Nato countries see no risks from the recommendation regarding the positive future of Ukraine's membership in Nato.”
Putin’s invasion was ‘opening stage’ of third world war, analysts suggest
Sunday 1 December 2024 16:03
Andy Gregory
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was the “opening stage” of a third world war, national security expert Mark Toth and former US intelligence officer Jonathan Sweet have said in comments reported by the Daily Mail.
“This third global conflagration doesn’t look or feel like what Hollywood envisioned,” they said. “No mushroom clouds or apocalyptic wastelands. Rather, it is war by a thousand cuts, conducted across multi-regional and multi-domain battlefields.”
“Putin's invasion of Ukraine was the opening stage. It was his marker to the global community that the world order as it had existed since the end of the Second World War was no longer,” they said, adding that Moscow “continues to play the victim while escalating against Ukrainian civilians”.
They continued: “‘It’s already a World War, only largely contained to the borders of Ukraine – until August when Ukraine invaded Kursk.”
However the outlet also carried comments by Adeline Van Houtte, of the Economist Intelligence Unit, who rejected the idea that a new world war had begun, saying: “Action to widen the scale of the war to bring in new players or expand the current battlefield within Ukraine remains highly unlikely”.
New European Council president says EU will stand with Kyiv for as long as necessary
Sunday 1 December 2024 15:44
Andy Gregory
Speaking at a news conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, the new European Council president Antonio Costa reiterated the EU’s recent commitment to help Ukraine continue through the war.
That includes €4.2bn (£3.4bn) to support Ukraine’s budget and €1.5bn (£1.25bn) of assistance every month from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets.
Asked whether the EU would step up funding if Donald Trump withdraws support upon his return to the White House in January, Mr Costa – a former prime minister of Portugal – said the bloc would “stand for Ukraine as long as necessary”.
US not considering returning nuclear weapons to Ukraine, White House says
Sunday 1 December 2024 15:24
Andy Gregory
The United States is not considering returning to Ukraine the nuclear weapons it gave up after the Soviet Union collapsed, the White House has said.
Asked about a New York Times article last month that said some unidentified Western officials had suggested US president Joe Biden could give Ukraine the arms before he leaves office, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said: “That is not under consideration, no.
“What we are doing is surging various conventional capacities to Ukraine so that they can effectively defend themselves and take the fight to the Russians, not [giving them] nuclear capability,” he told ABC.
Last week, Russia said the idea was “absolute insanity” and claimed that preventing such a scenario was one of the reasons why Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.
Kyiv inherited nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union after its 1991 collapse but gave them up in 1994 in return for security assurances from Russia, the United States and Britain.
Full report: Cabinet minister ‘can’t predict’ whether Ukraine will become part of Nato
Sunday 1 December 2024 14:59
Andy Gregory
A Cabinet minister has said he “can’t predict” whether Ukraine will become part of Nato, but added that the country has “got to be free to make its choices”.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said the UK does not want to see “Ukraine coerced into accepting a deal” it does not want after Russia’s invasion.
Caitlin Doherty has more details in this report:
Analysis | Zelensky is playing a clever game with America by talk of ceasefire
Sunday 1 December 2024 14:33
Andy Gregory
In an analysis piece for Independent Voices, historian Mark Almond writes:
After Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, Western leaders repeated constantly that they would stand behind Kyiv “as long as it takes”, first as Ukraine struck back, then as Russia counter-attacked.
But the costly bloodletting and Europe’s inability to sustain Ukraine’s munitions and monetary needs was skinning those proud commitments to the bone even before the spectre of Donald Trump’s return to the White House became a nightmarish reality. But Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky wasn’t a tap dancer for nothing. His footwork is far more deft than his European partners’. The Russians have already found that to their cost.
Zelensky’s warm words about Donald Trump are not just positioning for the new president. Trump’s talk of “peace through strength” offers the Ukrainian president a chance to profile himself as the pilot who steered Ukraine, or most of it, to safety under an American umbrella. Getting in well with Trump could buy Ukraine, and Zelensky himself, time to reconstruct its economy while hoping for things to go wrong for Putin at home or abroad.
You can read his analysis in full here:
Zelensky: I want to speak with Trump directly without voices around him
Sunday 1 December 2024 14:08
Andy Gregory
Russia’s Medvedev claims Georgia ‘moving rapidly along the Ukrainian path'
Sunday 1 December 2024 13:44
Andy Gregory
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has claimed that Georgia is “moving rapidly along the Ukrainian path, into the dark abyss”, as a third night of protests erupted in Tblisi over the government’s decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union.
“Usually this sort of thing ends very badly,” claimed Mr Medvedev, a former moderate who has taken an increasingly hawkish tone in recent years.
Georgia’s interior ministry said at least 44 people were taken to hospital after police deployed water cannons and tear gas against demonstrators – tens of thousands of whom gathered outside parliament in Tblisi on Saturday, throwing stones and setting off fireworks.
The ruling Georgian Dream party’s disputed victory in the 26 October parliamentary election, which was widely seen as a referendum on Georgia’s aspirations to join the EU, has sparked major demonstrations and led to an opposition boycott of parliament.
The opposition has said the vote was rigged with the help of Russia, with Georgia’s pro-Western president – who has attended this week’s protests – telling the Associated Press on Saturday that her country is becoming a “quasi-Russian” state, as she demanded fresh, fair elections.
Zelensky urges US to convince European sceptics on Nato invite for Kyiv
Sunday 1 December 2024 13:24
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has urged that there is still time for the United States to convince “sceptics” in Europe that Ukraine should be invited to join Nato.
Reasserting his remarks to Sky News, he Ukrainian president told a news conference in Kyiv that any invitation to join the military alliance must apply to all of Ukraine’s territory, but said he accepted that Nato’s defence umbrella could not apply to the occupied parts of Ukraine with the war ongoing.
Zelensky hails ‘symbolic start’ to new EU council presidency as Costa visits Kyiv
Sunday 1 December 2024 13:01
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed a “symbolic start” to Antonio Costa’s presidency of the European Council, as he and the bloc’s new top diplomat Kaja Kallas visited Kyiv a day into assuming their roles.
The Ukrainian president said he and Mr Costa “discussed our vision for European and global affairs – current challenges and prospects”, adding: “This symbolic start to the new leadership’s work reflects the key priorities for all of us in Europe.
“Peace is the foundation, and we will continue to do everything possible to end this war, which Russia has unleashed not only against Ukraine but also against a united Europe, as soon as possible and to strengthen Europe – both the EU institutions and the policies that support every European nation.
“I am grateful for the support Ukraine has received since the very first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion.”
Editorial | The Russia-Ukraine deal must be struck from a position of strength
Sunday 1 December 2024 12:47
Andy Gregory
A new editorial, written in the wake of Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks about ending the war the Ukraine, sets out The Independent’s view on ending the conflict. It states:
“The Independent recognises that resolute support for the Ukrainian people in resisting Putin’s aggression needs to be tempered by realism. But that resolute support is essential to put pressure on Mr Trump, who will not want to lose face in a contest of wills against Putin.
“The more that Britain and other European allies are prepared to step up, the more Mr Trump can tell his voters that he has persuaded the Europeans to take responsibility for their own backyard, and the more that he and Mr Zelensky can negotiate from a position of strength.”
Ukraine and Russia exchange drone fire as four killed in Dnipro strike
Sunday 1 December 2024 12:17
Andy Gregory
Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s forces have exchanged heavy drone attacks once again overnight on Saturday.
Kyiv’s military said it had shot down shot down 32 of 78 Iranian-made Shahed and dummy drones fired overnight by Russia at Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy and Poltava, with a further 45 “lost” over various areas, likely due to being electronically jammed.
Moscow said it had shot down 29 Ukrainian drones in four regions of western Russia, while a child was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Bryansk region, governor Alexander Bogomaz alleged.
UN aid workers were among those providing emergency aid as four people were killed in a missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, with 24 people injured.
A further three people died and seven more were injured when a Russian drone struck a minibus in the southern city of Kherson on Sunday morning, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
UK minister says he ‘can’t predict’ whether Ukraine will become part of Nato
Sunday 1 December 2024 12:01
Andy Gregory
A British government minister has said he “can’t predict” whether Ukraine will become part of Nato, but added that Kyiv has “got to be free to make its choices”.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said the UK does not want to see “Ukraine coerced into accepting a deal” it does not want after Russia’s invasion.
Mr McFadden told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I don’t know whether Ukraine will be part of Nato or not in the future, I can’t predict that. What I do know is that I want the country to be free to make decisions about its own future.”
He added that any application would “have to be considered properly by Nato in the future”.
Asked if the UK would back a deal that would see Russia keeping control of areas such as Crimea if the Ukrainians agreed, Mr McFadden said: “The principle that we would approach anything around that would be that Ukraine’s got to be free to make its choices.
“We don’t want to see Ukraine coerced into accepting a deal that it doesn’t want, and we want them to be free to make their own choices.
“And that’s the stance we’ve taken all the way through because we understand the stakes here. If President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is rewarded with the country being totally under his thumb in the future, what signal does that send out to the other countries in eastern Europe?”
Child killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Bryansk, Russian governor alleges
Sunday 1 December 2024 11:30
Andy Gregory
A child was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Bryansk region, governor Alexander Bogomaz has alleged.
Russia’s defence ministry said 29 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight into Sunday in four regions of western Russia – 20 over the Bryansk region, seven over the Kaluga region, and one each over the Smolensk and Kursk regions.
Russia suffers 1,730 losses in 24 hours, Ukraine says
Sunday 1 December 2024 11:11
Andy Gregory
Russia has suffered another day of heavy losses, with 1,730 casualties in the past 24 hours, Ukraine’s military has claimed.
As Moscow continues its push for territory in Ukraine’s east, where its troops are making some of the fastest gains of the war so far, albiet at great cost, the general staff Ukraine’s armed forces said it had recorded nearly 225 combat clashes along the front line on Saturday.
It comes after Ukraine said Russia had inflicted a similar number of casualties – which does not distinguish between those killed and inured – on Saturday, and more than 2,000 on Thursday, which would mark the worst single day Russia has suffered in its 33-month invasion.
Russian losses have for weeks been consistently among the highest of the war so far, with around 1,500 casualties each day, Ukrainian and Western military chiefs have said.
Seven dead in Russian drone and missile strikes on Dnipro and Kherson, Ukraine says
Sunday 1 December 2024 10:46
Andy Gregory
Three people have died and seven more were injured when a Russian drone struck a minibus in the southern city of Kherson on Sunday morning, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin has said.
Meanwhile, the number of people injured in a missile strike in Dnipro in central Ukraine on Saturday rose to 24, with seven in a serious condition, governor Serhiy Lysak said. Four people were killed in the attack.
Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down 32 of 78 drones fired overnight by Russia, with a further 45 “lost” over various areas, likely due to being electronically jammed.
Putin raises Russian military spending in 2025 to record levels
Sunday 1 December 2024 10:21
Andy Gregory
Vladimir Putin has approved plans which raise 2025 military spending to record levels, with 13.5trn roubles £99.5bn) – nearly a third of the budget posted on a government website – allocated for national defence.
Politicians in both houses of the Russian parliament have already approved the plans over the past 10 days.
The increase in military spending – from a reported 28.3 to 32.5 per cent of Russia’s budget – comes despite discussions over US president-elect Donald Trump’s desire to bring the war to a rapid end.
Top EU officials visit Ukraine in show of solidarity
Sunday 1 December 2024 09:58
Andy Gregory
European Council president Antonio Costa and Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, have arrived in Kyiv, using the first day in their new roles to send a message of support for Ukraine.
“From day one of the war, the EU has stood by the side of Ukraine,” Mr Costa posted on X alongside an image of himself, Kallas and EU enlargement chief Marta Kos arriving via train.
“From day one of our mandate, we are reaffirming our unwavering support to the Ukrainian people.”
From day one of the war, the EU has stood by the side of Ukraine.
— António Costa (@eucopresident) December 1, 2024
From day one of our mandate, we are reaffirming our unwavering support to the Ukrainian people.
Proud to be in Kyiv with @kajakallas and @Marta1Kos. pic.twitter.com/hlBxXCVVh7
“In my first visit since taking up office, my message is clear: the European Union wants Ukraine to win this war,” Kallas wrote on X. “We will do whatever it takes for that.”
As prime minister of Estonia, which borders Russia, Ms Kallas emerged as one of the fiercest critics of Russia, and Moscow has since put her on a wanted list for destroying Soviet-era monuments.
Mr Costa, a former prime minister of Portugal, said at a ceremony in Brussels on Friday that everyone, “especially the embattled and heroic Ukrainian people”, is yearning for peace after more than 1,000 days of the Ukraine-Russia war, but said: “Peace cannot mean capitulation. Peace must not reward the aggressor.”
More than 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers charged with desertion, prosecutors say
Sunday 1 December 2024 09:33
Andy Gregory
More than 100,000 soldiers have deserted the Ukrainian army, Ukraine’s prosecutor general has said, starving Kyiv of desperately needed manpower and crippling its battle plans at a crucial time in its war with Russia.
Facing every imaginable shortage, tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops, tired and bereft, have walked away from combat and front-line positions to slide into anonymity, soldiers, lawyers and Ukrainian officials have told the Associated Press.
Entire units have abandoned their posts, leaving defensive lines vulnerable and accelerating territorial losses, military commanders and soldiers said. Some take medical leave and find themselves unable to bring themselves to return. Others clash with commanders and refuse to carry out orders, sometimes in the middle of firefights.
Nearly half of the 100,000 peope charged have deserted in the last year alone, after Kyiv launched an aggressive mobilisation drive that government officials and military commanders concede has largely failed.
There were an estimated 300,000 Ukrainian soldiers engaged in combat before the mobilisation drive began. One politician with knowledge of military matters estimated the actual number of deserters could be as high as 200,000.
In pictures: Latest from the frontline in Ukraine
Sunday 1 December 2024 08:16
Holly Evans
Ukraine’s Zelensky names new land forces chief and warns changes needed
Sunday 1 December 2024 08:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has replaced the commander of the military’s land forces, putting Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi in charge as he warned that “internal changes” were needed.
The 42-year-old replaces Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk, who took the helm of the land forces in a major shake-up in February.
“The main task is to increase noticeably the combat efficiency of our army, ensure the quality of servicemen training, and introduce innovative approaches to people management in Ukraine’s Armed Forces,” Zelensky said.
“The Ukrainian army needs internal changes to achieve our state’s goals in full,” he said on Telegram after meeting his top military and government officials.
Mr Drapatyi is well respected in the army and military analysts praised his appointment. He took command of the Kharkiv front in May and managed to stop the Russian offensive in the northeast, stabilising the front.
Child dies in Russian region following Ukrainian drone attack
Sunday 1 December 2024 07:49
Holly Evans
One child died in Russia’s western Bryansk region following a massive Ukrainian drone attack, the local governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Sunday in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
Bogomaz said the attacks completely destroyed one house in the Starodubsky municipal district.
According to a Telegram channel called Mash, an 11-year-old boy died after a drone hit a five-story residential apartment in the region.
The Russian defence ministry said its air defences destroyed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 20 in the Bryansk region, seven in Kaluga region, and one each in Smolensk and Kursk regions.
The strikes come after Russia launched a record number of drones targeting Ukraine on Tuesday, cutting power to much of the western region of Ternopil and damaging residential buildings in the Kyiv region.
Russian and Chinese bombers conduct joint air patrol
Sunday 1 December 2024 07:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Russian and Chinese strategic bombers conducted a joint air patrol over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea, and Western Pacific Ocean, the Russian defence ministry said.
Russian Tu-95MS and Chinese H-6K strategic bombers conducted an eight-hour patrol accompanied by fighter jets from both countries.
The Russian aircraft took off from and landed at an airfield in China. The Russian ministry said that the flights did not violate the airspace of any foreign country and were not directed against any specific nations.