Live blog: End to Ukraine war 'the sooner, the better' - Putin

Thursday, December 22. 2022

Putin says end to Ukraine war 'the sooner, the better'

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was aiming for a speedy end to the conflict in Ukraine and that fighting should end as soon as possible.

"Our goal is... to end this conflict. We are striving for this and will continue to strive... so we will seek to make sure that it all ends, and the sooner, the better," Putin told reporters.

In recent weeks, Putin, however, said that he does not foresee a Christmas ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

US Patriot missiles to Ukraine will prolong war: Putin

The deliveries of Patriot missiles from the US to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict, Russian President Putin said.

The Russian leader made the statement as he vowed that Moscow will find an "antidote" to counter the possible deployment of the missile system in Ukraine.

Russia regrets no calls for peace at US-Ukraine meeting

Moscow has noted the absence of calls for peace at a meeting between the US and Ukrainian presidents, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov said the Kremlin followed the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the US and his meetings, including with US President Joe Biden.

"We can state with regret the fact that neither President Biden nor President Zelenskyy have spoken at least some words that could be perceived as, let's say, a potential willingness to listen to Russia's concerns,” he said.

EU chief, UK premier discuss sanctions against Russia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia were among the leading issues she discussed with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during their latest meeting.

"Happy to exchange with Rishi Sunak on our continued close coordination on support to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia," Von der Leyen said on Twitter.

"We will also push for ambitious G7 and G20 agendas."

Zelenskyy returns home after US trip

President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Ukraine after a historic visit to the United States, his first international trip since the conflict with Russia started in February, his spokesperson told AFP news agency.

Sergiy Nykyforov confirmed that the Ukrainian leader had crossed the country's borders after a brief stop in Poland to meet with his ally President Andrzej Duda.

Russian official killed in car blast in Ukrainian town

A car blast has killed an official in the Russian-controlled village of Lyubimivka in southern Ukraine, Moscow-backed authorities said, the latest in a series of attacks against Russian-linked officials.

In a Telegram message, Russian authorities identified the official as Nikolayevich Shtepa.

Lyubimivka is located on the eastern bank of the Dnipro river, which is occupied by Moscow's troops after they retreated from Kherson city last month rendering the river a new frontline.

US imposes sanctions on Russian naval entities

The United States has imposed sanctions on 10 Russian naval entities over Moscow's operations against Ukrainian ports, the US State Department said, as Washington increases pressure on Russia over its conflict with Ukraine.

"In the wake of Russian naval operations against Ukrainian ports, including those that are providing much-needed food and grain to the world, the United States today is imposing sanctions on Russian naval entities," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

Patriot missiles for Kiev won’t help settle Ukraine conflict: Kremlin

Russia has said that US supplies of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, announced during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Washington, would not contribute to settling the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, and would not prevent Russia from achieving its goals.

In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there had been no signs of readiness for peace talks during Zelenskyy's visit, and that this was evidence that the United States was fighting a proxy war with Russia "to the last Ukrainian".

"We can say with regret that so far neither President Biden nor President Zelenskyy have said even a few words that could be perceived as potential readiness to listen to Russia's concerns," Peskov said.

Zelenskyy’s US visit aims at bolstering Ukraine's defence: Foreign minister

Ukraine’s foreign minister said Zelenskyy’s visit to the US is not symbolic, but rather aimed at bolstering the country’s defence.

“This visit is now the number one event in America and the world. But this visit is not about symbolism, but about concrete decisions that strengthen Ukraine's defence,” Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Facebook.

Welcoming the US decision to provide Ukraine with Patriot air defence systems, Kuleba said that Kiev will receive the first Patriot battery “soon”, which he underlined will bring “a completely new level of air protection.”

Russia's former space chief injured in eastern Ukraine

The former head of Russia's space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, said he was injured by shelling in Donetsk, a Russian-controlled city in eastern Ukraine, and will require surgery.

Rogozin is an ardent supporter of President Vladimir Putin's February offensive in Ukraine and is leading a team of military advisors to pro-Russian forces fighting alongside Moscow's troops.

Russian investigators said that the strike, which took place in a hotel on Wednesday evening and left others dead and injured, was carried out with "high-precision munitions, presumably... a Caesar" French artillery system.

Gazprom says it will ship 41.6 mln cubic metres to Europe via Ukraine
Russia's Gazprom said it will ship 41.6 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine, a volume broadly in line with recent days.

Russian Defence Minister visits troops in Ukraine - RIA cites ministry

The Russian Defence Ministry said that Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had visited army units fighting in Ukraine, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported.

RIA cited the ministry as saying that Shoigu had visited Russian units deployed to the "area of the special military operation", using Moscow's term for the conflict in Ukraine. 

It did not specify where the visit took place.

Rosatom says talks with IAEA on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant safe zone to continue

Russia's Rosatom state nuclear energy company said that talks with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi about a safe zone around Ukraine's Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant would continue.

In a statement posted on Telegram, Rosatom said "approaches to the creation of a nuclear and physical safety protection zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were discussed" and that there was "significant closeness" between the two sides' positions.

It said that talks would continue based on "understanding of the need to reach a mutually acceptable text as soon as possible".

EU-Ukraine summit set for February 3, location not decided

The European Union's 27 heads of state and government and President Zelenskyy will hold a summit on February 3 next year, an EU spokesman said, but the location has not been determined. 

"I can confirm the EU-Ukraine summit will take place on 3 February and there is an open invitation to President Zelenskyy to visit Brussels," said Barend Leyts, spokesman for the chairman of EU leaders. 

The spokesman said the invitation for Zelenskyy to visit Brussels did not mean that's where the summit would be held.

US aid for Ukraine is 'investment,' not 'charity' - Zelenskyy

US assistance for Ukraine is not charity but rather an investment in security, Zelenskyy told American lawmakers in Washington.

"Your money is not charity, it's an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way," Zelenskyy said during an address to a joint session of Congress.

He also vowed his country would never surrender to Russia as he addressed a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday night.

"Ukraine holds its lines and will never surrender," Zelensky said.

Zelesnkyy: 'Just peace' means no territorial compromises 

A "just peace" ending the war in Ukraine means making no compromises on the country's territorial integrity, Zelenskyy said in Washington after meeting with his US counterpart Joe Biden.

"For me as a president, 'just peace' is no compromises as to the sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity of my country; the payback for all the damages inflicted by Russian aggression," Zelenskyy said through a translator at a news conference alongside his US counterpart Joe Biden.

Zelesnkyy says US defence system will be crucial to Ukraine's defences

Zelenskyy said a US promise to provide the Patriot surface-to-air missile defence system was an important step in creating an effective air shield.

"This is the only way that we can deprive the 'terrorist' state of its main instrument of terror - the possibility to hit our cities, our energy," Zelenskyy told at White House news conference.

Biden confident about Western support to Ukraine

US President Joe Biden said he was confident the Western alliance would remain united behind Ukraine.

"I'm not at all worried about holding the alliance," Biden told reporters after the meeting with Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy.

"I feel very good about solidarity and support for Ukraine," Biden said.

Ukraine shelling attack injures two top pro-Russia officials in Donetsk

A former Russian deputy prime minister and a pro-Moscow official were injured when Ukrainian forces shelled the eastern city of Donetsk, Russian news agencies said.

Donetsk, controlled by pro-Moscow troops, is in the industrial Donbas region, the epicentre of recent bitter fighting between Russia and Ukraine.

One of the injured men was Dmitry Rogozin, a former Russian deputy prime minister who is giving military advice to two occupied regions of Ukraine that Moscow claims as its own, an aide told Tass news agency, his life was not in danger.

For live updates from Wednesday (December 21), click HERE.