Russia has also sent new proposals to Washington, which highlights above all the need to reach agreements for “collective security guarantees” that go beyond the Ukrainian conflict alone. This is in conjunction with the 20-point plan broadcast to the United States from Kiev.
This was announced by the Russian Foreign Minister, Serghei Lavrov, according to whom the misunderstandings between Moscow and Washington have been “eliminated” and the agreements reached in Alaska “confirmed” during the August 15th summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Lavrov attacks Europe and warns of “peacekeepers” in Ukraine
The tones used by the head of Russian diplomacy towards European countries are very different, which in his opinion “are trying in every way to sit at the negotiating table”, but with “ideas that will not be useful to the negotiations”.
Lavrov also returned to issue a harsh warning against sending European troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire, which is still being discussed in the Coalition of the Willing. «They fantasize about sending their soldiers to Ukraine as peacekeepers, in quotation marks – said the minister – For us these so-called peacekeepers will immediately become legitimate targets. Everyone must understand this.”
Zelensky and the missed elections: the Kremlin insists on voting in Ukraine
As for Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the Russian Foreign Minister he is only interested in prolonging the conflict because for him it is “a question of political survival, and perhaps even physical”. While the Kremlin stated that presidential elections “must be held” in Ukraine, because Zelensky’s mandate ended in May 2024 without new consultations taking place due to martial law.
Russian offensive in Donbass: Siversk taken and Sloviansk objective
Moscow’s intransigent statements go hand in hand with the continuation of the offensive in eastern and southern Ukraine. Putin attended a videoconference meeting with the military high command, who informed him of the capture of the city of Siversk, in the north of the Donetsk region. According to the commander of the Southern troop grouping, the fall of this center opens the way to the city of Sloviansk, 35 kilometers to the west.
Putin: «The strategic initiative is in Russian hands»
“The strategic initiative is completely in the hands of the Russian armed forces” and the conquest of the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson “is taking place in a progressive and sustained manner”, assured Putin for his part, who defined the successes claimed on the field as “gifts to the motherland” for the new year given by the soldiers engaged at the front.
Kiev claims attack on Russian oil platform in the Caspian Sea
Kiev has meanwhile claimed responsibility for a drone attack against a Russian oil platform in the Caspian Sea owned by Lukoil. According to Ukrainian military sources, oil and gas production from over 20 wells served by it has been blocked.”
Drone attacks up to Moscow: 287 aircraft intercepted
Furthermore, during the night between Wednesday and Thursday, Ukrainian forces attacked Russian territory with 287 drones, 32 of which were directed towards Moscow.
The Russian Defense Ministry said all were shot down, but the attacks resulted in cancellations, delays or diversions of 133 flights at the capital’s four international airports.
Civilians killed in attacks in Sumy and Kherson regions
The Ukrainian authorities have meanwhile accused the Russians of having hit a shop in the Sumy region with a remote-controlled bomb, killing two women and wounding two.
While the pro-Moscow administration of the part of the territory of the Kherson region controlled by Russian forces said that Ukrainian drone strikes killed a man and a woman traveling in a civilian car and injured three other people.