Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky accuses Scholz of opening ‘Pandora’s box’ after call with Putin
Zelensky said the call between Scholz and Putin is part of the latter’s strategy to avoid changing policy
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Your support makes all the difference.Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised German chancellor Olaf Scholz for speaking with Russian president Vladimir Putin over the phone for the first time in two years.
Mr Scholz urged Putin to pull his forces out of Ukraine and open talks with Kyiv in order to set the region on course for a “just and lasting peace”.
The Kremlin said that Berlin had requested the conversation, and Putin told Mr Scholz that any agreement to end the war in Ukraine must take into account “new territorial realities”.
Mr Zelensky said the call “opens Pandora’s Box”, claiming it is “critical for [Putin] to weaken his isolation, as well as Russia’s isolation, and to hold mere talks that will lead nowhere”.
This is a decades-old strategy which has “allowed Russia to avoid making any changes to its policies, effectively doing nothing, which has ultimately led to this war,” Mr Zelensky added.
“We understand all the current challenges and we know what to do. And we want to make it clear: there will be no ‘Minsk-3’; we need real peace,” he said, referring to the peace agreement signed in 2015 which granted self-governance to certain areas of Donbas.
Estonian government sends military aid to Ukraine
Estonia has approved the delivery of a new military aid package to Ukraine.
The package, proposed by defence minister Hanno Pevkur, will be drawn from the reserves of the Estonian Defence Forces and are specifically tailored to Ukraine’s needs, the Estonian defence ministry said according to Reuters.
It includes surveillance equipment, ballistic protection gear, ammunition, and naval uniforms.
Mr Pevkur said: "This is not the final aid package. We will soon launch an annual competitive support programme for Estonian companies, allowing Ukraine to benefit from goods produced by Estonia’s defence industry.
“This initiative will support not only Ukraine but also Estonia’s economy and security."
In Focus: Putin’s forces intensify assaults across Ukraine - ‘They don’t care how many men they lose’
As Russian forces intensify attacks against hard-pressed Ukrainian soldiers along much of the 600-mile frontline, a senior Ukrainian military source has told The Independent that Moscow will keep up the assaults until the moment of Donald Trump’s inauguration – despite the huge troop losses Vladimir Putin‘s forces are suffering.
The colonel, who requested not be named, said both Ukraine and Russia have to take seriously Trump’s campaign promises to quickly end the war, although the president in waiting has not explained how he plans to bring about a ceasefire.
“What is clear,” says the colonel, “is that the Russians want to take as much Ukrainian territory as possible and clear Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk [Russian border] region we occupied in August before any negotiations begin.”
Askold Krushelnycky writes:
Putin’s forces intensify assault on Ukraine: ‘They don’t care how many men they lose’
Kyiv's soldiers are under pressure from Donetsk in the east to Kharkiv in the north – while Vladimir Putin also wants the territory taken in Russia's Kursk back before Donald Trump takes office. Askold Krushelnycky talks to officers about the fight to stop Moscow's troops
In pictures: Japanese foreign minister visits Ukraine amid North Korea concerns
Zelensky says war will ‘end sooner’ with Trump as president as he slams German chancellor’s call with Putin
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is certain the war with Russia will “end sooner” once Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Mr Zelensky conceded the battlefield situation in eastern Ukraine was difficult and Russia was making advances, adding that Russian president Vladimir Putin was not interested in agreeing to a peace deal.
In an interview on Saturday, the Ukrainian president said he had a “constructive exchange” with US president-elect Trump during a phone conversation following his victory against Kamala Harris.
He added that he had not heard anything from Trump that went against Ukraine’s stance, but he did not specify whether Trump had made any demands on potential negotiations with Russia.
Mr Zelensky also said US legislation prevented him from meeting Trump before his inauguration next January. The Ukrainian leader said he would only talk with Trump himself rather than any emissary or advisor.
“It is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that will now lead the White House. This is their approach, their promise to their citizens,” Mr Zelensky told Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne.
Jabed Ahmed reports:
Zelensky says Ukraine-Russia war will ‘end sooner’ with Trump as president
As the conflict reaches its 1,000th day next week, Ukraine is facing increasingly difficult conditions on the frontlines
Ukraine has not received half of aid allocated by US, Zelensky says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine hasn’t received even half of the weapons allocated to it by the US.
Speaking on Ukrainian Radio, he said according to Ukrainska Pravda: "Now, regarding the huge assistance [from the US – ed.]. Look, that money still needs to be delivered. If you asked me how much we have received from this, I wouldn’t go into the details because there are various reports from different institutions, such as the Ministry of Defence, intelligence agencies, and so on.
“I would only say that we haven’t received half.
"When I talk about half, I actually mean less, and I’m talking about weapons. I negotiated for weapons. Of course, there is humanitarian aid, financial aid, targeted financial aid to the budget, as well as specific humanitarian programmes directed to the regions.”
G7 reiterates pledge to impose severe costs on Russia
Leaders of the major democracies in the G7 repeated their pledge on Saturday to impose severe consequences on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The consequences will include sanctions, export controls and other measures, the G7 said. The group will continue supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary, it added.
“Russia remains the sole obstacle to just and lasting peace,” it said in a statement on Saturday. The statement was adopted “in support of Kyiv as the thousandth day of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine approaches.”
“The G7 confirms its commitment to imposing severe costs on Russia through sanctions, export controls and other effective measures. We stand united with Ukraine,” the statement added.
Italy currently holds the 2024 rotating presidency of the G7. Other member states include United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany and Britain.
Ukraine must ensure the war ends through diplomacy, says Zelensky
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine must ensure the war with Russia ends next year through diplomacy.
Mr Zelensky accepted in a radio interview on Saturday that the situation on the eastern Ukrainian front is difficult as Russia continues to advance in key areas.
US legislation prevents the president from meeting with US president-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration in January - but Mr Zelensky has said he will only talk with Trump himself rather than an advisor.
"I, as the president of Ukraine, will only take seriously a conversation with the president of the United States of America, with all due respect to any entourage, to any people."
"From our side, we must do everything so that this war ends next year, ends through diplomatic means," Mr Zelensky said.
Russian forces capture two villages in Ukraine, defence ministry says
Russian forces have captured two villages in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, Russian news agencies cited the defence ministry as saying on Saturday.
The villages of Makarivka, just over 100km west of Donetsk city, and Hryhorivka, which is is situated to the west of the town of Selydove, captured by Russia last month, the ministry claims according to Reuters.
It comes as Russia continues to progress in its offensive on the eastern Ukrainian front.
Zelensky criticises German’s chancellor’s call with Putin
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized German chancellor Olaf Scholz for his call with Russian president Vladimir Putin as opening a “Pandora’s box”.
“This is exactly what Putin has been wanting for a long time: it is extremely important for him to weaken his isolation, Russia’s isolation, and to have normal negotiations that will not end in anything,” Mr Zelensky said.
During the first phone call in nearly two years, Mr Scholz urged Mr Putin to withdraw his troops and end the full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.
Ukraine is facing a ‘hammer blow’ of 50,000 Russian troops in Kursk – can they hold out?
After months spent occupying a swathe of territory in Russia in the wake of a daring summer assault, Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Ukraine is now engaged against a force of 50,000 troops amassed by Vladimir Putin in the border Kursk region.
However, Moscow is now pushing to retake the territory. Following reports that thousands of North Korean troops have been stationed in Kursk, Ukraine’s military has claimed that Russia has suffered two consecutive days of record losses – suggesting the fight is gaining a new intensity.
The Independent has spoken to analysts about how the situation may develop in the weeks and months to come:
Analysis: Ukraine is facing 50,000 Russian troops in Kursk – can they hold out?
Experts tell Andy Gregory and Tom Watling that the real question is how much Kyiv’s troops are able to inflict casualties on the Russians as the price for taking the territory back
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