Ukraine-Russia latest: Trump ‘to call Putin’ as Biden plans final surge in military aid to Kyiv

A Russian MP has sparked outrage after boasting that Moscow uses “expendable” troops to deplete Ukraine’s strongest soldiers, describing them as “meat” to be “ground up” in battle.

Alexander Borodai, a member of President Vladimir Putin’s ruling party, made the controversial remarks about Russia’s irregular military units, often made up of soldiers who sign short-term contracts with the state or regional authorities.

These fighters, who typically earn salaries well above Russia’s average wage, are viewed in Moscow as dispensable, according to Mr Borodai.

Attacking the recruits, he said: “These people have no social value,. They’re bought, like meat.”

He added that their primary role was to “exhaust enemy forces” while other Russian units prepared for major offensives.

“No one expects these forces to achieve anything. They are simply human resources being expended,” he said.

The MP claimed that the war had forced Ukraine to send “young, strong, healthy” men against Russia’s “spare” troops, depleting Kyiv’s reserves.

The average age of a Ukrainian soldier is now estimated to be 45.

Washington is by far Kyiv’s largest military backer – and any loss in support will mean more deaths on the frontline, writes Chris Stevenson.

But if a push to end the war does come from the White House, that also poses a problem for the Kremlin:

The Kremlin has responded cautiously following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.

Officials suggested that while Trump’s rhetoric on ending the Ukraine war was noteworthy, it remains to be seen if it will translate into tangible policy changes.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made clear that, despite Trump’s campaign promises to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, Russia viewed the US as an “unfriendly” state that remained deeply involved in the conflict.

“Let us not forget that we are talking about an unfriendly country, which is both directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state,” Mr Peskov told reporters, adding that Moscow would wait to see if Trump’s statements on Ukraine would result in concrete actions.

Despite the continued animosity, Russian state media during the election campaign showed a clear preference for Trump, suggesting some hope in Moscow that his administration could be more amenable to dialogue than the current one.

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and a former Goldman Sachs banker with prior contacts to Trump’s team, said that a Trump presidency could offer a “new opportunity” for a reset in US-Russia relations.