Ukraine-Russia war latest: Biden vows surge in weapons for Kyiv after ‘outrageous’ attack by Putin
At least one person killed and six wounded as Putin launches more than 70 missiles at Ukraine on Christmas Day
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Your support makes all the difference.Half a million people have been left without heating in Kharkiv as Vladimir Putin’s forces launched a barrage of aerial attacks on Ukraine, condemned as “inhumane” by Volodymyr Zelensky.
The strikes wounded at least six people in the city of Kharkiv and killed one in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, local governors said.
Zelensky said more than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones were used to strike Ukraine’s power sources.
US President Joe Biden denounced the "outrageous" attack and said he asked the US Defense Department to push forward with a new surge of military aid to Kyiv.
Mr Biden, who is being replaced by Donald Trump next month, said the purpose of the attack was "to cut off the Ukrainian people's access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid".
Washington has committed $175 billion in aid for Ukraine. It is not certain the flow will continue at that pace under Trump, who has said he wants to bring the war to a quick end.
Protests and anger as Slovakia PM meets Putin
Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico has drawn criticism from the European community and Slovakian citizens after he met face-to-face with Vladimir Putin the day before Christmas Eve (23 December).
Mr Fico became only the third European leader to visit the Russian president in Moscow since its invasion of Ukraine was ordered in February 2022.
The pair discussed “the international situation” and the delivery of Russian natural gas, according to the Kremlin.
Mr Fico says his visit was a reaction to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement that he would no longer allow Russian natural gas to flow to other European countries through pipes in Ukrainian soil.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry slammed the “weakness, dependence and short-sightedness” of Mr Fico’s energy policy in a statement, calling it a “threat to the whole of Europe.”
Meanwhile, protests have taken place in Bratislavia, Slovakia’s capital, as citizens show their support for Ukraine and disappointment at Mr Fico’s meeting.
Russian ship under US sanction sunk in ‘act of terrorism’, says owner
Russian ship under US sanction sunk in ‘act of terrorism’, says owner
Three explosions ripped through the engine room of Ursa Major before it sank off the Spanish coast, says the owner which is linked to Russia’s defence ministry
US to continue weapons surge to Ukraine after Russia's Christmas attack, Biden says
President Joe Biden has said he asked the US Defense Department to continue its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine after condemning Russia's Christmas Day attack against some of Ukraine's cities and its energy system.
"The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people's access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid," Biden said in a statement.
Russia attacked Ukraine's energy system and some cities with cruise and ballistic missiles plus drones on Wednesday, Ukraine said. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Washington has committed $175 billion in aid for Ukraine.
Putin must not be rewarded for Ukraine invasion, warns Estonia’s PM
Europe’s frontline countries remain adamant that Vladimir Putin must not be rewarded for his invasion of Ukraine, and that the safety of the continent relies on Ukraine’s success.
“To be very frank, when Russia is fighting with Ukraine and Russia is defeated in Ukraine, there is no need to ask who is next,” Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal told The Independent.
“If we allow Russia as a regime, as a thug, as a bully, to take something by force, and after that, we say, yes, let’s agree that half of what is taken is theirs, then that would be a very bad message for the future of the democratic world.”
'I have to be here. My family understands’: Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade
In the forests near Kharkiv, Askold Krushelnycky speaks to soldiers spending Christmas fighting a hi-tech battle against Vladimir Putin’s forces
Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade
In the forests near Kharkiv, Askold Krushelnycky speaks to soldiers spending Christmas fighting a hi-tech battle against Vladimir Putin’s forces
Nato ‘cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US'
Nato is “not ready” to fight against Vladimir Putin’s Russia without the US, the leaders of the alliance’s three frontline states have told The Independent, as they called on allies to drastically increase defence spending.
In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, the leaders of Latvia, Estonia and Finland have urged the alliance to stop “endlessly debating” how to cope with the looming threat of Russia, saying it is time to bolster Europe’s defences.
“We are not ready. That’s absolutely clear,” says Latvia president Edgars Rinkevics. “We can’t keep simply hoping for a situation where the US remains much involved in Europe.”
“We have to ramp up our defence capabilities,” Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal adds, “because of Russia’s threat, and its inability to be a democracy and operate in a rule-based world”.
Tom Watling and Millie Cooke have the exclusive report:
Nato cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US, warns Baltic leaders
Leaders of Finland, Latvia and Estonia tell The Independent that Ukraine’s victory over Russia is vital to the defence of a poorly armed Europe
Full report: ‘State-sponsored terrorism’ as Russia targets Ukraine on Christmas Day
A large-scale Russian missile and drone attack targeting Ukraine’s energy system on Christmas Day has been condemned as “inhumane” by president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Half a million people were left without heating in Kharkiv in temperatures just a few degrees above freezing, as blackouts were reported in Kyiv and other regions.
At least one person was killed and six others wounded in the attack, described by one Ukrainian energy chief as Vladimir Putin’s “state-sponsored terrorism”.
You can read the full report on today’s events below:
‘State-sponsored terrorism’ as Russia attacks Ukraine energy targets on Christmas Day
Russia confirmed it fired more than 70 missiles at Ukraine on Christmas Day
Ukrainians have highest trust for Trump in Europe, survey suggests
Just over 44 per cent of Ukrainians trust US president-elect Donald Trump, around 10 points less than president Joe Biden, a survey by the New Europe Centre showed.
In comparison, a separate June poll by the Pew Research Center suggested that Hungarians trusted Mr Trump the most at 37 percent, followed by Britain at 30 per cent and then France with 16 per cent of the population trusting him.
“This high level of support is likely due to the expectation of a clearer and more decisive policy towards Ukraine from the new US administration,” New Europe Centre researchers said.
70 per cent of Ukrainians support ‘West German’ model for Nato accession, survey shows
Just over 70 per cent of Ukrainians support gradual Nato accession akin to West Germany’s model, a new survey by the Kyiv-based New Europe Centre showed.
This invitation would cover Ukraine, but the alliance’s defensive umbrella would only extend to occupied territories after liberation.
Different Nato accession pathways are gaining traction in both the West and Kyiv as Russia holds a military advantage on the battlefield and the prospect of liberating occupied territories militarily remains slim.
Kremlin calls US transfer of funds to Kyiv covered by frozen Russian asset profits ‘theft’
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that $1bn reportedly sent to Ukraine by Washington via the World Bank and covered by profits generated by frozen Russian assets amounted to theft.
“This money has been stolen from us. And those reserves that are blocked, they are also blocked absolutely illegally. This is contrary to all norms and rules,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“Such illegal actions, including the transfer of this billion, may, of course, in the long term become a reason for our legal action. And we will, of course, use every opportunity to protect our rights and our property rights.”
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