Ukraine Russia latest news: Putin’s only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, catches fire

The Biden The administration announced Wednesday that it will provide $1.85 billion in military aid to Ukraine, funding a battery of Patriot missiles when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Ukraine. Washington for a first trip outside your country since Russia invaded in February.

• Zelensky told lawmakers in the House chamber on Wednesday that he hoped they would continue to support Ukraine in a bipartisan fashion, an important point as Republicans are due to win a majority in the House on Jan. 3.
• Zelensky said that a “just peace” with Russia means no compromises on his country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and supporting Ukraine was an investment in democracy.”
• His surprise visit to Washington, where he met with President Joe Biden, his first trip abroad since Russia invaded his country 300 days ago, began with a secret train trip to Poland on Tuesday night.
• The United States announced $1.85 billion in additional military assistance for Ukraine, including the transfer of the Patriot Air Defense System. The Kremlin said supplies from the system will not help resolve the conflict or prevent Russia from achieving its goals.
• The US Senate has introduced a government funding bill that includes $44.9 billion in emergency assistance for Ukraine and NATO allies.

• Russian forces struck targets in the Zaporizhzhia region and advanced near the battered eastern cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, the focal point of the fighting in the Donetsk region, Ukraine’s military said late Wednesday.
• Putin has vowed to give his army everything it needs to continue the war and backed a plan to increase the size of the armed forces by more than 30%.
• Ukraine’s power grid operator, Ukrenergo, reported a “significant power shortage” and restrictions caused by missile and drone strikes.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had visited army units fighting in Ukraine, Russian state news agency RIA reported.

The RIA quoted the ministry as saying Shoigu had visited Russian units deployed in the “special military operation area”, using Moscow’s term for the conflict in Ukraine.

The agency did not specify where the visit took place.

Mitch McConnell, unlike some of his more skeptical Republican colleagues, is throwing his weight behind the Ukrainians defeating Russia.

“This is very important, the most important thing that is happening in the world is to beat the Russians in the Ukraine,” he said. said On Wednesday. “Luckily, they have a leader that everyone can look up to and look up to, and it’s also nice to have something here at the end of the year that we all agree on.”

President Vladimir Putin He has said that his military will receive whatever they ask for, without financial limits, and that the Sarmat hypersonic missile, dubbed “Satan II,” would be ready for deployment in the near future. at a year-end meeting of Russia’s top defense chiefs.

The president also vowed that Moscow would complete all objectives, without providing many details, of its invasion of Ukraine, hailing Russian soldiers and defense chiefs as “heroes.”

Putin said the NATO military alliance was using all its capabilities against Russia and urged the assembled military leaders to use their experience gained from fighting in Syria and during the 10-month invasion into the new year. The president said that the combat readiness of the country’s nuclear forces must be ensured, while Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu added that the process of supplying the troops with new weapons has been sped up.

chris stevenson has the details.

With just weeks until the rising Republican majority, complete with a renewed isolationist wing, seizes control of the House, Zelensky’s visit is his last chance to mount an in-person charm offensive in hopes of keeping enough Republican members. of the Chamber convinced of the need to continue and increase the support of the United States in the coming years.

The president of the 27 leaders of the European Union, Charles Michel, and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will hold a summit with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, on February 3 next year, he said Thursday. an EU spokesperson.

The location of the summit has yet to be determined.

“I can confirm that the EU-Ukraine summit will take place on February 3 and there is an open invitation to President Zelensky to visit Brussels,” said Barend Leyts, the president’s spokesman for EU leaders.

He said that the invitation for Zelensky to visit Brussels did not mean that the summit would take place there.

The officials said the topic of the summit was likely to be how the EU can continue to support Ukraine against Russia. The leaders of the two key EU institutions, the Commission and the council of EU leaders, will also assess Ukraine’s path towards membership of the bloc.

Zelensky has made regular appearances via video link at EU summits since the start of the Russian invasion in February. He made his first in-person trip since the start of the war to Washington on Wednesday.

Russia said on Thursday that US supplies of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, announced during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Washington, would not help resolve the conflict or prevent Russia from achieving its goals.

In a call with journalists, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of sending Patriot: “This is not conducive to a quick deal, quite the contrary. And this cannot prevent the Russian Federation from achieving its goals during the special military operation”, using Russia. deadline for war.

Peskov said there were no calls for peace or signs of willingness to “listen to Russia’s concerns” during Zelenskiy’s visit on Wednesday, showing the US was waging a proxy war with Russia “to the last Ukrainian”.

Congress is considering government funding of $1.7 trillion, and supporters point to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit this week as another reason to promote the measure in a show of support for the embattled nation.

The measure includes $44.9 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine and NATO allies, even on top of President Joe Biden’s emergency request, and ensures funds flow for the war effort in the coming months. The move would also boost US defense spending by about 10% to $858 billion, addressing concerns from some lawmakers that more investment is needed in the nation’s military to ensure the security of the United States. Joined.

Both chambers will need to approve the measure before midnight Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown.

The 27 European Union heads of state and government and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold a summit in February next year, but the venue has not been determined.

“I can confirm that the EU-Ukraine summit will take place on February 3 and there is an open invitation to President Zelenskiy to visit Brussels,” said Barend Leyts, the president’s spokesman for EU leaders.

The spokesman said that the invitation for President Zelensky to visit Brussels did not mean that the summit would be held there.

The officials said the topic of the summit was likely to be how the EU can continue to support Ukraine against Russia. The leaders would also assess Ukraine’s path to bloc membership.

President Zelensky has made regular appearances via video link at EU summits since the start of the Russian invasion in February. He made his first in-person trip since the start of the war to Washington on Wednesday.