A snapshot of recent news from sources around the world on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Source: Ukraine Ministry of DefensePolitical Developments
Several European policy chiefs said Ukraine’s eventual path to membership in NATO is “irreversible.” Russia has been adamant that Ukraine must not be allowed to join the alliance, a stance seemingly shared by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that, during his visit to Europe last week, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron that he would not support admitting Ukraine into the alliance, though he would seek to ensure Ukraine is well-armed.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Russia needs to be part of any discussion of ending the war in Ukraine. He has suggested Kyiv initiate talks with Moscow, but said it should do so from a position of strength. However, Rutte has also said Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation Europe, and encouraged governments to increase defense spending.
The fall of the Russian-backed regime in Syria, meanwhile, could put increased pressure on the Kremlin to seek a victory in Ukraine. This shift could limit any concessions Moscow would be willing to accept in a potential negotiation to end the war.
European leaders continue to put pressure on China to encourage Russia to end the war in Ukraine. President Macron is planning a trip to Beijing in 2025, where he is likely to discuss the situation in Ukraine. Earlier this month, Macron also had a discussion with President-elect Trump and President Zelensky about China’s potential involvement in a ceasefire deal.
This week, President Macron visited Poland, reportedly to pitch a proposal on deploying a 40,000-strong peacekeeping force to Ukraine. But Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk rejected the idea, saying on Thursday, “I want to cut short speculation on the presence of troops from this or that country in Ukraine after a possible peace agreement or in the case of a cease-fire.”
President-elect Trump was critical of Ukrainian strikes into Russia in an interview with TIME, saying, “I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We’re just escalating this war and making it worse.” However, he told TIME that his administration will use U.S. assistance to Ukraine as leverage to pressure Russia to negotiate an end to the war.
Military Assistance to Ukraine
The U.S. announced a $988 million security assistance package for Ukraine on December 7. The funding is provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which facilitates the procurement of new equipment directly from manufacturers. The funding will be used to buy High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) ammunition, unmanned aerial systems, and other items needed to maintain artillery systems and combat vehicles. This package was followed by another on December 12 worth $500 million, which similarly includes HIMARS ammunition, as well as AGM-88 HARM missiles.
The Pentagon unveiled another $500 million security assistance package on December 12. The $500 million aid package includes equipment pulled from U.S. inventory, including, but not limited to, counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) munitions, HIMARS ammunition, artillery ammunition, High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM), UAS, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAP), High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV), light tactical vehicles, and Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems.
On December 10, the U.S. approved a Ukrainian request for F-16 sustainment services, which the DSCA estimated to be valued at $266.4 million. Ukraine began receiving F-16s from its Western partners over the summer.
Speaking at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke about the importance of maintaining support for Kyiv. There are uncertainties about the incoming administration’s willingness to continue providing military aid.
The U.S. has transferred $20 billion in seized Russian assets to a World Bank fund that Ukraine will be able to access. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the move means Russia will “bear the cost of its illegal war, instead of taxpayers.”
If made available, retired manned combat aircraft could be converted into attack drones by Ukraine.
Croatia is decommissioning its MiG-21 fighter aircraft, replacing them with the French-built Rafale. These retired airframes could be made available to Ukraine for conversion into an expendable unmanned aircraft.
Battlefield Updates
Russian forces continue advancing on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, which serves as a logistics hub for the Ukrainian military, establishing positions 1.5 kilometers outside the city. A Ukrainian commander told UkrInform that the Pokrovsk section of the frontline is the most challenging for the Ukrainian military.
Delays and poor coordination have inhibited Ukraine’s efforts to construct defensive fortifications behind the lines, the Financial Times reported this week. The lack of prepared defenses is one factor in Russia’s recent advances along the front in the east.
“Funds are scattered among all the regions and everyone is building their own thing. There is no one person who is responsible for the quality, for planning, for how these positions will be transferred and to whom, and who will supervise them,” Ukrainian lawmaker Dmytro Razumkov told the FT.
With winter setting in, Russia has continued to attack Ukraine’s power grid, conducting a major attack on Friday that involved 93 missiles and close to 200 drones. President Zelensky said that 81 of those missiles were intercepted, including 11 by F-16.
Russia could be preparing another strike using the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Pentagon said this week, based on intelligence showing preparations for another launch following a strike on Dnipro on Nov. 21.
A Russian cruise missile engineer, Mikhail Shatsky, was shot dead in Moscow this week. According to reports, Shatsky oversaw the modernization of Kh-59 cruise missiles into the newer Kh-69 version. Ukrainian media reported that the country’s military intelligence HUR was likely behind the attack.
The Ukrainian government has performed a successful test of a new missile. The Ruta, which can reach speeds of 500-800 kmph, could be a hybrid missile-drone with a potential range of 300 kilometers.
The Russian Army is running out of tanks. Moscow has seen massive losses of military equipment in its war with Ukraine. These heavy losses are depleting the massive stockpiles built up during the Soviet era.
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image sources
- Ukraine FPV drone: Ukraine Ministry of Defense
