Ukraine-Russia war – live: Musk ‘joins Trump’s Zelensky call’ as Putin hails ‘courageous’ US election win
Elon Musk promised to support Volodymyr Zelensky with his Starlink satellites
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Your support makes all the difference.Elon Musk reportedly jumped on Donald Trump’s first call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The move potentially reveals how high Trump values the Tesla billionaire and foreshadows a possible role in his administration.
Axios reported that the president-elect told Zelensky he will support Ukraine, but didn’t go into details on a 25 minute phonecall.
Musk also weighed in to say he will continue supporting Ukraine through his Starlink satellites - that have become pivotal to Ukraine forces communications on the frontline.
Musk had previously mocked Zelensky on social media for his attempts to fundraise for his nation’s war effort.
It came as Russian president Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on winning the US election and said Moscow was ready for dialogue with him.
In his first remarks since Mr Trump’s win, Mr Putin said the president-elect had acted “like a real man” during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July.
Mr Trump’s win has caused concern in Ukraine, where the Russian forces have made swift advances of late, over fears that he would curtail US support for Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Russian drone strikes killed at least one person and injured 34 injured in Odesa and Kharkiv early this morning.
Kyiv facing uphill battles with Russia, says military chief
Ukraine is facing increasing difficulties in its fight against Moscow’s invasion as Russian forces advance and North Korean troops prepare to join the Kremlin’s campaign, Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Ukrainian forces are outnumbered and facing Russian attacks in key sectors, he said, a concern he has shared with a top US general.
“The situation remains challenging and shows signs of escalation,” general Syrskyi wrote on Facebook, stating he told US General Christopher Cavoli who heads the US European Command.
“The enemy, leveraging its numerical advantage, is continuing offensive actions and is focusing its main efforts on the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions”, general Syrskyi said.
Ukraine’s general staff, in a late evening report on Saturday, said 40 armed clashes had occurred around villages near Kurakhove. Both Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers yesterday said Russian forces sought to encircle the city.
A Ukraine medic fell in love with a soldier. They died together
A Ukraine medic fell in love with a soldier on the front. They died together
A crowd of mourners lit torches to honor a Ukrainian medic and a soldier who fell in love while on the frontlines
US to speed up interceptor missiles delivery to Ukraine
The US will ship more than 500 interceptor missiles to Ukraine in the weeks ahead, speeding up Washington’s military aid delivery to the war-ravaged country, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Citing an unnamed Pentagon official, the WSJ reported that before the US presidential election, in which former Republican president Donald Trump defeated his Democratic rival vice president Kamala Harris, the US administration had been aiming to deliver the remainder of its aid to Ukraine by April.
The delivery of the interceptors for the Patriot missile defence system and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS, should meet Ukraine’s air defence needs for the rest of this year, the newspaper reported, citing an unnamed US official.
This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading for months for more weaponry and for Nato allies to help Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with long-range Western missiles.
European countries are spending more on defense, a think tank says
European countries are spending more on defense, a think tank says
European nations have boosted their defenses in response to the annexation of the Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 but much remains to be done for them to be ready to face threats from Russia
Russia blasts Ukraine with more aerial attacks as part of an intensified campaign
Russia blasts Ukraine with more aerial attacks as part of an intensified campaign
Officials say Russian missiles, bombs and drones have battered three regions of Ukraine in targeted nighttime attacks
Pentagon responds to claims North Koreans in Russia ‘gorging on porn’
Pentagon responds to claims North Korean troops in Russia ‘gorging on pornography’
Internet access in Russia is not unrestricted, but is far more open than in the closed off North Korea
What funds could Biden send to Ukraine before Trump takes office?
What funds could Biden send to Ukraine before Trump takes office?
A senior White House official says they are rushing to send a significant support package to Ukraine before Donald Trump is inaugurated in January
Senior Trump advisor says Crimea will be given to the Russians
A senior advisor to US president-elect has told the BBC World Service that they will not support Ukraine’s hopes of reclaiming the occupied peninsula of Crimea.
Zelensky urges European leaders to stay strong over Ukraine
Zelensky urges European leaders to stay strong over Ukraine
European leaders met in Budapest a day after Donald Trump was re-elected president
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